Harry Potter and the Unexpected Power
by kb0
Summary: In his sixth year, Harry meets an unexpected visitor at school and not only does she like him, but she can help him beat Voldemort. (for those that care about 'ships, Harry/sorta-OC)
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Harry Potter and the Unexpected Power  
**Rating:** PG-15  
**Summary:** In his sixth year, Harry meets an unexpected visitor at school and not only does she like him, but she can help him beat Voldemort.  
**(A/N:** Here's a plot bunny that I've had lying around since Sep 2012 and it jumped to the top of my queue as I took a break from writing my next story. It's a short one, only 6 chapters. A note about its origin will come at the end of the story so I don't give some of the fun away. Enjoy… Kevin**)**

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**Harry**** Potter and the Unexpected Power**

**Chapter 1 - The Visitor**

(Sat, Oct 5)

Harry glanced up from his studies without moving his head to see his two best friends arguing again. Closing his eyes, he tried to push his slowly growing headache away - with no success. To try to prevent the slight throbbing from getting worse, he packed his stuff quickly and quietly so he could slip out of the Gryffindor common room. He thought that after over five years they would have exhausted all contention between them and either been calm friends or killed each other.

Desiring peace and quiet, he went up the stairs to the Room of Requirement instead of down to the library which would have more people present than he wanted to deal with. There was also the possibility that he might run into Draco Malfoy there, which he didn't want unless he could find out what the Slytherin was doing.

He sighed as he considered his school nemesis. Malfoy was up to something, of that Harry had no doubt. However, his two best friends had plenty of doubt, as if they had suddenly forgotten they were in a war. Their suspicions in Diagon Alley about Malfoy seemed to have been shelved when they reached Hogwarts. He shook his head as he pulled the strap of his book bag higher on his shoulder.

Reaching the proper spot, Harry paced back and forth thinking of his need for a place that was quiet and away from everyone else so he could study. The door for the magical room appeared and he entered. Harry nodded as he looked around - it was the perfect study for a house. He couldn't have designed one better if he had tried.

Dropping his bag on the desk, careful not to disturb anything there, he walked over to the window and looked over the school grounds for a moment. The sight of the Quidditch pitch made him wonder yet again if he should be the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. He had decided over the summer that he was going to take his studies a lot more seriously. He knew he'd never be like Hermione in regards to his scores, but he was going to try a lot harder to learn the material: the theoretical and the application. The disaster in the Department of Mysteries a few months earlier had pointed out a few uncomfortable truths.

Returning to the desk, he opened his bag and pulled his Charms homework back out. Eyeing the pitcher of water available, he poured himself a glass and sipped at it as he read over what he already written to get back into the flow of it.

Nearly two hours later, he rolled up his completed Transfiguration homework. It was then that he realized how comfortable the chair was. It really was the perfect study room.

Looking at the clock, he decided he had some time before he really had to go and decided to practice his animation skills. Looking around the room, he spotted a number of toy soldiers on the shelf that he didn't remember seeing before, but they did fulfill his need. Grabbing them, he set them on the floor and started working the charms on them, what was discussed in the homework as well as other variations that he could think of.

When his time came to return to his dorm room to put his things up so he could go to dinner, he scooped up the soldiers and put them back on the shelf. As he turned around, he heard the door close causing him to spin, his wand out and pointing in that direction.

He was surprised, totally surprised, causing him to keep his wand trained on the girl he'd never seen before. She looked to be about his age and he would have sworn he knew everyone in the top three years, even if he hadn't ever spoken with many of them.

It only took a moment for him to realize just how attractive she was. She wasn't quite beautiful, her facial features were a little too sharp, but her slightly wavy long dark brown hair was almost black and luxurious. Her figure was pleasing, not too big but not too small either; she was also about his height, perhaps an inch or so shorter. She was in new looking jeans, looking like any Muggle girl on the street in them, but her blouse was a deep red, form fitting, and had a high collar, harkening back to an earlier time. The front had a deep "V", all the way to the bottom of her moderate breasts. He wasn't sure if she was wearing a bra or not, the material was fairly heavy, but he suspected she wasn't by the depth of the cut in the middle. Brown leather slippers completed her outfit. It was a very striking look.

"Who are you?" he finally managed to get out, at about the same time she smiled brightly and said, "Hi!"

"I was looking around the castle," she said. "Is it all right that I'm here?"

"It's fine, but you surprised me. I didn't think anyone else could get in here while I'm here. Who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you before." He didn't lower his wand or let his guard down.

"Oh, I'm Heidi. I'm visiting and this is the first time I've been here like this. Who are you?" She stood there seemingly not bothered by his pointing his wand at her.

"I'm Harry. Who did you come here to visit?" he asked, still wary of her.

"I'm related to one of the professors and had some free time so I thought I'd look around." She started looking at parts of the room as if inspecting it all. "What is this place? Just a room to study?"

"Yeah," Harry answered, slowly lowering his wand but not putting it away, wondering if she was for real or a Death Eater in disguise. If she was a Death Eater, she was the prettiest one he had ever seen. "I came here to study as the common room was too loud."

She nodded. "I can understand. I prefer the quieter times, but there are times it's nice to have others around also. What were you studying?"

"Charms then Transfiguration," he replied, trying to figure out who she might be related too, as she didn't look very much like any of the professors.

"Can I see? I'll look over it for you if you like," she offered as she walked towards the desk.

Harry almost did a double take. That was said so much like Hermione he would have sworn his friend was here.

"I think what I have is correct, but do you know sixth year material?" he asked, trying to guess her age.

"Sure, I know seventh year material too. I'm seventeen, I think." Without asking, she pulled Harry's homework out of the top of his bag.

"You think? How can you not know how old you are?"

She unrolled his homework and started to look at it as she said, "Because I don't know exactly, only approximately. Those you could call my mother and father are dead, so my birthday is a guess."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I know what that's like. My parents were killed when I was one year old," he told her sympathetically.

Lowering the parchment, she gave him a concerned look. "I'm sorry for you too, Harry." She brightened suddenly. "I guess that's something we have in common." She set the first one down. "That was pretty good, you should get an outstanding for it." Unrolling the second, she began to look at his Transfiguration homework.

"You read that very quickly," he commented, feeling a little more at ease, but not totally.

"I read quickly," she said with a shrug of indifference, as if everyone could do it.

"If you're only visiting, where do you normally stay?" he asked her, trying to find out more.

"Wherever I can," she said before holding his homework out to him. "I think an Exceeds Expectation for this one. If you'll work in the Fourth Law of Transfiguration and how it applies, I think you'll probably get an Outstanding."

"Really, but how does … oh, yes, I think I understand now. That's not something I would have thought of and the book doesn't mention it." He put his wand down on the desk and pulled out a quill and some ink. He'd make a note and redo it later this evening.

"You're welcome," she told sweetly.

Harry couldn't help the blush. "Err, yeah, thanks! Thanks for the help."

"I'm glad to help. Maybe I'll come by and check here next time I come to visit and see if you're here." She walked up to him and stood toe-to-toe with him and looked him in the eyes, as if trying to read his soul. Suddenly without warning, she moved forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You're kind of cute too," she told him with a giggle before turning and walking towards the door.

Harry was so surprised by the kiss and the motion of her walking, that he didn't say anything until she reached the door. "Err, thanks, you're pretty and smart."

Stopping, she looked over her shoulder at him for a moment, smiling. "Thank you, Harry." She blew him a kiss with just her lips and walked out the door.

He stared at the closed door for just a moment before he ran to it and yanked it open. Looking both ways down the corridor, he was surprised that he didn't see her. It was like she just vanished, or she had a Cloak of Invisibility, he thought.

Harry walked back over and packed his things again and dropped them off in his dorm room before arriving a few minutes late for dinner.

As he sat down for dinner with his two best friends, Ron looked at him with concern. "Where have you been all afternoon, mate? I haven't seen you since just after lunch?" Hermione looked curious as well.

Considering how much and what he wanted to tell, something that had occupied much of his walk to dinner, he finally decided very little. "I wanted some time alone to study. You know, like how Hermione goes off to the library," he finished with a grin.

"All afternoon on a Saturday?" Ron asked, his voice rising in pitch a little.

"Sure, I wanted to get ahead a little, especially since we have practice tomorrow," Harry told his friend, hoping to change the subject.

"That's very commendable of you, Harry," Hermione told him. "Perhaps others need to be as studious." She glared at Ron.

As they started to argue, Harry tuned them out and looked around the room. Nowhere did he see Heidi and he wanted to talk to her some more. He had enjoyed their conversation, when he didn't feel he was tongue-tied. All the professors who usually came to dinner were already there, so did that mean she belonged to Madam Pince or Pomfrey?'

"Harry, who are you looking for?" Hermione asked him, looking at him curiously.

"Huh? Oh, no one specifically; just seeing who was here," he lied successfully. "Also wanted to see if Malfoy was looking suspicious." That was mostly truthful.

"Isn't he always?" Ron quipped, earning him a glare, one that was also turned on Harry.

"I don't understand your concern, Harry. Yes," she told him with a raised hand as he started to object, "I know he was rude to you earlier this year on the Hogwarts Express, but it's been over a month now and he's ignored you since. Let it go, Harry," she implored him.

"Hermione, I … never mind, I don't want to argue with you." Harry hurriedly returned to eating, although not with the impolite and uncontrolled abandon that Ron did. Thankfully, she didn't continue the argument either.

That made Harry wonder why she and Ron argued so much. He wondered if maybe they liked each other and arguing was their way of spending time together, or maybe it was some sort of dominance game. Whatever, as little as he knew about relationships, he knew arguing was not a good basis for being together and he hoped they didn't try. If they did, he thought it would go badly and one of them would hurt the other terribly, unless one or both of them changed greatly.

As they all walked back to their dorms, Harry mentally kicked himself as he remembered one of the tools he always kept on him now days. Dashing up the stairs to his room for privacy, he pulled out the Marauder's Map and activated it as he sat down. Looking it over carefully, Harry didn't find a single Heidi on it. With a sigh, he wiped the Map clean and put it back in his pocket before returning downstairs to spend the evening with his friends.

* * *

(Sun, Oct 6)

Sundays were normally used by most students as the day they used to catch up on any work due for the next few days and to work on any long-term projects. Harry and his friends were no exception, especially when Hermione insisted. That was leading to a problem as Harry wanted to break away on his own and was having trouble without bring attention to himself.

"Hmm," Harry voiced softly, "I wonder if I'm going to need to go to the library to finish this Potions assignment." He tried to be casual about it.

"I'll probably need to go in a few minutes too," Hermione said.

"We could go fly for a few minutes until she's done," Ron said hopefully, earning him a massive glare from the female of the group.

Deciding he was going to have to stick his neck out, Harry told them. "We have an hour of Quidditch practice late this afternoon, flying will have to wait until then." Hermione smiled at him and he gave her a slight nod as he started to stuff his things into his bag. "However, I do need to go to the library before I can go further and I need some time alone to clear my brain after everything I've done this morning, so I'm going to take a walk then go find the book I need. I'll either see you in the library or at lunch."

He sighed with relief when Ron gave him a grumpy, "Later mate" and Hermione gave him a tight-lipped nod. Having ditched his friends, which made him feel a little guilty, he headed out the portrait hole. Taking care to make sure he wasn't being followed, he headed to the Room of Requirement.

Pacing back and forth produced a door and he hurried in. He was very surprised to see Heidi already sitting in a chair near the window with a book in her hand. She had a different pair of jeans with tall soft leather boots and a loose blouse with a leather lace-up vest - again, that mixture of modern and old.

When she looked up, she smiled brightly at him. "Harry, you came!" She bounced up, dropping the book in her chair before skipping over. He barely pulled his bag off of his shoulder to drop it on the floor before she arrived, throwing her arms around him. "I wasn't sure you'd try to find me again."

Harry put his arms around her and returned the hug with a guilty pleasure, feeling the warm and very pretty smelling girl pressed against him.

Just as quickly as it had happened, she pulled back, although her hand slid down his arm and grabbed his hand. "Come talk with me, Harry," she told him sweetly as she pulled him across the room to her chair that stretched into a two-seat settee, where she dropped onto one cushion and almost propelled him to the other.

He smiled at her, enjoying her carefree behavior more than he would have expected. "So," he paused feeling a little embarrassed, "you wanted me to come find you?"

"Yes, it can get so boring here most of the time and you were fun to talk to yesterday." She played with his fingers a little, still not having let go of his hand, while she looked at his face.

For some reason, that embarrassed him more. He really needed to spend more time with girls to get over this shyness, he thought. "I, uh, I looked for you at dinner and didn't see you."

She nodded and said, "Uh-hmm. I haven't ever eaten meals in the Great Hall and I left before then anyway." She looked shy for a moment. "But I did come back this morning to see if I could find you."

Harry couldn't help his smile as he looked down and saw her perfectly painted fingernails as she continued to play with his hand. "I enjoyed talking with you too." He moved his thumb to run it over the back of her hand. "Heidi, who do you come to visit?"

Heidi managed to move her head suddenly and flip some of hair back behind her in a way that was captivating. "I'm not sure I want to say."

She seemed to be teasing him, or so he thought. "Please honestly tell me you're not related to Snape." It was his biggest fear that she was a love-child of his. Laughter filled the room for a moment, sweet sounding that also caused her blouse to move in enticing ways, he thought, smiling along with her reaction.

"Oh, Harry, that is so funny." She used her free hand to wiped at her eyes. "No, you have absolutely nothing to worry about in regards to my being related in any way to Snape. While most Pureblood families are related somehow by now, my understanding is that he and I have nothing in common."

Harry grinned at him and let his worry bleed off. "That's a relief. Then who?"

She gave him a grin worthy of the Cheshire Cat. "I think I'll leave that as a mystery for you to unravel, at least for now. I'll tell you one day though."

"Please?" he said sadly, trying for a pout, something he hadn't tried since he was about five and had been smacked for it.

Grabbing his other hand, she shook her head with a large smile. "Good try, but no, not now."

Sighing but smiling, he said, "For now, but I will try to figure it out."

"Good, it'll be our game when we can get together. I can't come here all the time, but I shall try when I can," she told him. "If I'm available, I'll be here in this room."

"And I'll have trouble getting away, but I'll try to find you, here," he promised.

"Lovely. So, what homework are you doing today?"

"Potions," he said, losing some of his enthusiasm from a moment ago.

"Interesting, I was just reading about Potions." She let one of his hands go and picked up the book that had been moved to the side when they had sat.

Harry pulled his other hand away from her and grabbed the book, opening it up. Looking at the table of contents, he looked up at her sharply. "This is the book I needed for my homework. How?"

Heidi shrugged. "Good luck, I guess. I pick up random books at times to give myself something to read. Here, I'll get your bag."

Her hand moved so fast he couldn't follow it. The next thing he knew, she had a wand in it and was silently summoning his bag to them. Harry grabbed it when it arrived and unconsciously set it at his feet as he looked at her. "How did you do that so easily? We've been working on silent casting in Defense and it's been hard."

"Yes, it is hard at first. But the theory is easy and from there it's just lots of practice," she explained simply as if he should already know.

Harry supposed he did know, and yet… "So what is the theory you were taught, because Snape only said to just do it, or essentially that."

"One could do it that way, but it's not the best way. Come on," she told him, grabbing his hand and pulling him up and away from the settee a short distance before turning to back to face it.

"Now, we'll try something simple like the Levitation charm. Have you been able to do it completely silent?"

"No," he answered.

"Right, good choice then. Think back to first year and unlike then when you shouted every spell, just say it in a normal voice. Go ahead," she urged, "levitate your bag."

Harry pulled out his wand and with a swish and flick, he said in a normal voice, "_Wingardium_ _Leviosa_." The bag lifted until he put it down.

"Very good, that's step one, but we need to correct something." She looked at him in disappointment. "Why did you say that to cast the spell?"

"It's what we were taught," he said a little defensively.

"Yes, I'm aware that's the way it's taught, but you haven't really thought about it since, have you?"

"Err, no."

She shook her head. "Teaching is going downhill even more. Harry, you used two trigger words for the spell. What were they and what do they mean?"

"I, uh," he ran his fingers through his hair, a little embarrassed by the scrutiny she was giving him.

Slowly, she reached up and pulled his hand down. "That's very cute," she said with a winning smile, "but you're not getting out of my question that easily."

Feeling more embarrassed, he tried to focus on her face and the question. "Well, there's Wingardium and Leviosa for the words." As her eyebrow went up, he said, "I believe Leviosa is for levitate, not sure about the Wingardium."

She dropped his hand and closed her eyes. "I was afraid of that," she muttered. "All right, Harry, we need to talk theory for a moment. In magic, words have meaning," then she grinned for a moment, "unless you don't want them to."

"Huh? That's contradictory," he retorted. Her laughter came out for a moment, something he felt that could give phoenix song a run for its money.

"Words normally have meaning and are very important, unless you're to the stage of working with magic so closely that you don't need them to help you anymore, then they don't have any meaning at all. Watch this." She pointed her wand at the bag and said, "Git." The bag slowly floated up and then back down.

Harry couldn't help the grin that spread on his face. "I could make Hermione have a dragon if I could do that." At her blank look, he quickly said, "One of my best friends. She's very straight-laced about everything; a real follow the rules sort of person."

Heidi smiled now. "Yes, that would certainly twist her knickers enough to give her a wedgey."

He cracked up at that imagined visual. "I need to learn that then."

"That's step three and you haven't even completed step one yet," she told him with superiority laced with humor.

"What are the steps?" he asked.

"First, you practice saying the spell softer and softer until you don't need to say it, except perhaps in your mind. Second," she grinned, "lots and lots of practice. By that time, you shouldn't even really be saying it in your mind, but only be intending it. Then for the third part, you're really just doing the spell by intention alone and then you can say whatever you want." She pointed her wand at the bag and said, "Harry." The bag floated again for a moment before settling back on the floor.

"Right," Harry said with determination now and looked seriously at the bag. A hand covered his and pulled it back down, so he looked at her as he wondered why she had stopped him.

"You didn't answer all of the second part of my question, Harry." At his puzzled look, she asked quietly, "What does Wingardium mean?"

"I don't know," he said softly.

"It means feather and you're taught that way as a crutch to make it easier on you when you first learn. In fact, you get a little more power out of the spell by naming the object while you try to levitate it, but you really don't need to do so, and it also slows you down."

"So I only need the Leviosa word?" he asked, still a little unsure.

"Yes. Now try it a little softer too." She raised his arm back up and let go.

"Leviosa," he said a little quieter. The bag rose as before, giving him confidence.

"Again and quieter still," she directed him

Harry followed her order. Each time becoming quieter until he was whispering. Then he felt her move over until she was standing nestled next to him, his non-wand arm between her breasts she was standing so close they were touching slightly.

Whispering in his ear, she said, "Now, drop the whisper and say it only in your mind. Move your lips if you must but let no sound out. For motivation, if you can do that three times, I'll give you a kiss."

He whipped his head around and saw her move back slightly, glad she did because they were now literally nose to nose. After staring at each other and neither flinching, although he did swallow a little dryly, he felt her hand take his chin and move his head so he was looking at the bag again.

"You can do this, Harry," she whispered encouragingly.

Doing his best to block out her softness, as she had not moved, he closed his eyes for a moment to try to center himself. Ready, he looked at the bag and did as she had said. When his wand moved, the bag quivered on the ground, but didn't rise.

"Good, you're close," she continued to whisper. "I'm told you can do a Patronus. Remember how hard that was at first; this is no different. Just like you conquered it, you will conqueror this. Concentrate on your magic and try again. Feel it flow from you, to your wand, and over to the bag."

Trying to clear his mind, even of her, he looked at the bag. With a swish and flick, the bag quivered and rose in slow jerks for a few seconds before falling down.

"See," she whispered superiorly, "I told you. That's one; again."

With a smile and more confidence, Harry took a deep breath and cast again, not saying a word. The bag rose, still a little jerky, but also a little smoother. Then a third time, the bag rose with only the slightest of quivers.

Dropping his arm and closing his eyes, Harry relaxed for the first time in minutes and realized how much that had taken out of him, much like learning to cast his Patronus. As his senses came back to him, he realized a hand was on his waist and was slowly turning him.

Adjusting his stance to his new position and opening his eyes, he saw a very happy looking Heidi. Feeling her arms go around his neck as she leaned in and said, "I knew you could do it." Her kiss was gentle and yet very wonderful, nothing like his last kiss which was with Cho.

When they separated, Harry saw her slowly open her eyes and then bat them at him. "That's how you take theory and apply it successfully." She looked like she couldn't help her smile.

He couldn't help his either. "I've never had such … beautiful motivation." He banished the idea of any of his professors ever trying this as the thought even started to form.

She smiled slightly bigger and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "That's very sweet, Harry."

He couldn't help but feel the loss as her arms came down and she stepped back. "Err, thanks, but it's true. I've never had anyone really explain it like that before. You made so much sense and it was easy to understand. And," he couldn't help the slight blush, feeling his face warm, "I've never had such alluring motivation nor such a beautiful instructor."

Heidi looked at him coyly for a moment. "Be careful, Harry, you might get what you wish for and I don't know if you could handle it."

He couldn't help the slow blink of surprise, although he did suppress his initial desire. "What do you think I'm wishing for?"

Her look changed to one of more calculation before she started to walk back toward him but to the side. Slowly she walked around him, putting a hand on his shoulder and slowly dragging it around his back until she reached the other side, when he met her gaze.

With her other hand coming up, she cupped his head so he could not look away. "I've heard a lot about you, Harry. It's been hard not to actually."

As he tried to look away, her hands prevented it, so he forced himself to look into her eyes, very caring dark blue eyes he realized.

"I think this is the real Harry, not what everyone says. This is the Harry that is an incredible and dedicated wizard, although a little lacking in confidence at first. A wizard who has great power, yet hides it. A gentle soul that can still be riled and turn into a fierce competitor. And I think, or maybe it's my hope, that this Harry is looking for someone to help with the loneliness he finds at times. He has friends, but they don't really understand the loneliness."

As he stared into her dark blue eyes, he realized they weren't truly blue. They were very dark and had a hint of purple or violet. They also had the most open and caring look he had ever seen. At that moment, he knew she understood loneliness too.

Almost without thought, he moved forward the last few inches and bent his head slightly and kissed her. The kiss turned passionate and her fingers moved through his hair as his hands sought out her waist and pulled her close. He was breathing slowly and deeply as they shifted into a hug.

"How? How do you know?" he whispered hoarsely into her ear.

"I have people around me all the time," she answered, "but I really have no one. I can see it in you too." As they held each other, she also said, "I'm also afraid, Harry."

"Of what? I'll protect you," he promised the girl who had wormed her way into his life in such a short time. She was now a friend. He refused to give that more thought at the moment as that was scary to him.

"Of the same things most girls are, or most people."

He pulled back to look at her face. "What?"

"Rejection," she said simply.

Harry couldn't help his grin. "You already said you're not related to Snape." He sobered suddenly. "Wait, you're not related to me, are you? Like a lost cousin?"

She smiled a tight smile. "Probably in some very distant way, but we're not close enough for there to be any problems _that way_."

That gave him great relief. "Then what? I'll help you any way I can."

"You have such a wonderful heart, Harry." She pulled him back to the settee. "I have a problem and I think you may be the only one who can help me."

"Me?"

"Yes. Because I'm starting to care for you, I think I need to tell you something, maybe a few things." She looked down.

His guard went up; he couldn't help it. "What?"

"Please understand," she looked him in the eye and held his gaze, "that I've been completely truthful with you. I haven't told you a single lie. I've withheld some things, and maybe given you a few creative answers, but I haven't lied once and I refuse to do so. I believe I need to tell you some things so you don't think badly of me. Unlike some people, I don't want to manipulate you. I need your help, but I will do it honestly because I've come to like you and want you to like me."

Harry just blinked at her as he processed that. It was so brutally honest it was refreshing. It also started him wondering just who was trying to manipulate him. In the end, it was his curiosity about her and the fact that he trusted her that decided it.

"OK," he said gently as he sat a little straighter. "I appreciate you telling me that. It does create several new questions though."

"Only several?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a relieved look.

"I'm sure there will be more," he told her, his better feelings from before starting to return, although he was really hoping that what she was about to say wouldn't be too bad.

Heidi cleared her throat, although her gaze never left him. "I suppose my first confession should be that I've actually known you for longer than a couple of days. I've watched you, at least when I could. I'm not a stalker or anything, but you're actually pretty hard to ignore. You have such a … presence, I guess I'll say, whenever you're around."

"Then why haven't I seen you before?" he asked, hoping she wasn't some fan girl.

"Because I'm very good at hiding and I don't always have this form," she explained.

"You're an Animagus?" That could be cool, he thought.

She smiled at him. "I hope you'll forgive me, but I'm not ready to explain that part yet."

Disappointed, he nodded anyway.

"Harry, I'd like to be around you more, and to help you more, but I'm not allowed to-"

"Because of who you come to visit here?" he cut in.

"No, because of magic, actually," she said with a grin.

"Huh?"

"So eloquent," she teased him, causing him to look embarrassed for a moment. "No, I mean magic literally, and that's what I need your help with. I need you to remove the limiter because I can't get to it."

"I'm so confused," he shook his head as if to try to clear the cobwebs there.

She held out her hand and small silver model of Hogwarts appeared. "You've been to the Headmaster's office, right?" When he nodded, she asked, "Have you seen something like this on his shelf?"

Harry though very hard about that; there were so many trinkets in the man's office. "Maybe, but I can't be sure."

"There is a way, though. Stand up, Harry," she told him as she stood and the little model disappeared. "You know what this room can do, right?"

"Yes, it's the Room of Requirement."

With a smile, she said, "And I have a requirement."

A moment later the room changed and Harry would have sworn he was literally in the Headmaster's office. It looked so real, even down to papers on the man's desk. "I know I shouldn't' be surprised, but wow," he said softly in admiration.

"Everyone thinks the ceiling in the Great Hall is so wonderful," Heidi said. "It is, but this room is Rowena Ravenclaw's greatest accomplishment."

"I'd have to agree," Harry said as he continued to look around. "There," he pointed, "it's over there."

They both walked over to a bookshelf behind the Headmaster's desk. "It's his personal library of rare books, or I would guess," Heidi hastily added at the end.

"That will be hard to get because I don't ever go over there," Harry informed her.

"You know magic, Harry, and you're very good with the Summoning Charm," she argued.

"What would I tell him? You know he's going to ask why I grab it and try to take it."

"Then destroy it right there," she told him quietly.

"What?!" He couldn't' believe she had said that. "Why?"

"Harry…"

"No, why? Tell me now!" he looked at her hard, wondering exactly what was going on. The room changing to a comfortable sitting room surprised him, as did her grabbing his hand and leading him back to a settee.

"I'll try to explain as much as I can. However, I can't tell you everything, not now. I'm very afraid, Harry. If you'll destroy that thing, then I'll answer all of your questions." She looked at him hopefully.

He squirmed a little. "Fine. I'm also sorry for yelling at you. It's just that you surprised me with wanting me to destroy something of the Headmaster's."

"It's not really his personally." At his questioning look, she nodded. "That device was created many years ago and, as I understand it, holds a ward or more likely several wards on the castle that prevent certain things from happening, all of them good. My ability to go anywhere in the castle is one of the things it prevents."

"But, if it's so bad, why does it exist and why wouldn't Professor Dumbledore destroy it himself?"

"Because he doesn't see it as bad," she explained. "It does something useful for the Headmaster that created it and now for Dumbledore, which is to tell him about state of the wards on the castle, but he doesn't understand that it has more bad side-effects than good."

Harry thought through that for a moment. "How do you know this?"

"I can't tell you that, or rather I don't think I should tell you that." At his dark look, she stopped his reply with, "No, Harry, please listen for a moment. You saw that I have your interests in mind when I taught you how to cast silently, right?"

"I don't know that that says that you have my best interests in mind, but I do appreciate the help," he replied back, still not sure what he should believe yet.

"Harry, please, I do care for you, as a person and fellow user of magic for certain. My feelings may be more, but that's not important right now."

He blinked in surprise. "You really like me, as in _like_ … _me_?"

"I do," she told him with a smile. "It surprised me at first, which is why I'm hesitant, plus I don't want you to think I'm trying to manipulate you."

The thought of her liking him for being him was very appealing, but he had to set that aside. "I appreciate the effort, but we need to go back to you and that thing, and please answer honestly."

Heidi nodded. "Harry, as you've seen, I have a good connection with my magic. I don't want to boast, but I'm very, very good because I'm so close to my magic. In time and with my help, you could be almost as good, but that's something to talk about another time. My point is that I can feel how that thing affects me. I can't tell you how that works, but please trust me that it is so."

Harry considered that and decided that he'd heard stranger things. "What happens if I were to destroy it?"

"A perceived problem is that the Headmaster would not be so in-tune with the castle's wards. Now, that device gives him a connection to the wards so he knows their state whenever he wants. Without that device, he'd have to perform several spells."

"I think that would make him very upset," Harry said.

Heidi chuckled. "There's an understatement," she said ruefully. "The positive is that its destruction would remove various limits on the castle and on me too. The founders put protections on the castle and that thing prevents all of them from working. You would be safer in this castle," she looked at him caringly, "in many ways. Most if not all of your adventures here wouldn't have happened, or so I believe."

It was official, he was shocked. "Seriously?"

"Very. That level of protection exists, but that thing is blocking it as well as other things," she insisted, "including something that prevents me from being able to go anywhere in the school."

"That's … that would be … wow," he finally got out.

Heidi giggled before she reached out and grasped both of his hands and made him look at her. "Harry, there's one more thing."

"What now?" he said a little playfully and matching her, while still trying to come to terms with what he'd heard.

"I promise, that if you destroy that thing, I will be whoever you want. You want a friend? I'll be that. You want someone to snog from time to time? I'll be happy to. You want to learn everything about women?" She gave him a hungry look. "I'm willing. But most importantly, and this is my deepest wish above all others. If you want someone who's your best friend, someone to be there with you in life, someone to share your life with, I'd like to be that someone. And even if you want none of that, I'll still help you defeat Voldemort and survive."

Harry gulped, he couldn't help it. She appealed to him, her as she was; they seemed to connect so well too. Her final offer though was almost beyond belief. "You can help me default Voldemort? Truly?"

"If you destroy that ugly limiter, then yes I can and I will. If you help me, I will help you with all of my abilities and they are much better than what I've shown you so far," she told him with confidence.

"All right, you have a deal." He couldn't prove this was the right thing to do, but somehow he knew it was so.

The words were barely out of his mouth before she sprung at him and kissed him hard, except that the kiss didn't last long because she lost her balance and started to tumble. The two held on to each other as they rolled off the couch, landing on her and then rolling over so she was on top at the end.

"Are you OK?" he asked her worriedly.

She blinked at him a few times as she took a couple of deep breaths. "I think so, that just surprised me more than anything, I think. However," she grinned impishly at him, "I think I like the end result of our accident." She lowered her head and kissed him.

Harry grinned as she sat up, resting her bum on his lower stomach and bringing her knees forward so she could sit comfortably. He knew he probably shouldn't have been, but he was so at ease with her. He got along with her better than even with Hermione.

That thought yanked him back to his normal world. "Err, what time is it? I was supposed to meet my friends for lunch?"

Heidi laughed and shook her head. "Lunch should be ending about now. Why don't you have lunch with me here and then you can go find them?"

"I guess I could call an elf here, right?" He wasn't sure but hoped Dobby could hear him.

Heidi chuckled again. "It's easier than that in here." She stood up and helped him stand up too before she pointed to the table of food not too far away.

"Right," he said sheepishly as they walked over.

They joked and talked about life over lunch. At the end when he was about to leave, she called out, "Wait!" She grabbed the potions book that was still there and waved her wand over it. Several pages of parchment appeared, which she handed to him. "I think this is the information you were wanting. Now go be with your friends," she told him.

"What about you?" he asked, his curiosity about her up again.

"I have something to do here. Go on. When you have free time, come look for me here again. Maybe I'll be here, although it'll mostly be on the weekends," she told him before she kissed him gently and pushed him towards the door.

Harry smiled at her. "Definitely friends; we'll have to see if there's more or not."

"I'm fine with that," she assured him, although her look was hopeful for more.

Leaving the very magical room, he headed back towards his dorm. A quick glance at the parchments in his hand show him that it was exactly what he needed for his homework, so that time wasn't wasted.

Shaking his head as he considered it all. No, there was no wasted time this morning. He wouldn't give it up for anything. There were still several very serious questions she'd need to answer, but he had enjoyed every minute of his time with Heidi.

He also determined that he would destroy that thing for her. He was very sure she hadn't put the Imperius on him, and despite his questions about her, he was sure her task was the right thing to do. He had no idea why he thought that, but it was a gut feeling and he was going to follow it.

As he rounded the last corner before the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, he saw Dean and Ginny walking hand and hand and talking quietly. It wasn't until he walked through the portrait hole that he realized those fluttery feelings in his chest when he was around Ginny were gone. Instead, he had felt them for a brief moment when he was leaving Heidi.

"Where have you been, Harry?" Hermione asked as he entered the common room, causing him to forget about girls in general for a moment.

Ron didn't seem to be there, and Harry was grateful for one less person to quiz him. "Walking and gathering information for my homework," he said, holding up the parchments in his hand as he continued to his dorm room.

Upstairs, he put his things down and dropped back on his bed to think. Heidi was absolutely amazing, and her understanding of magic was incredible based on what he had seen. He thought it would be fun to see Heidi and Hermione have a contest; he strongly suspected Heidi would win. As fun as that thought was, he started to think about how to get that device in the Headmaster's office and hoped the Headmaster called him back soon.

* * *

.


	2. Secrets Revealed

(A/N: I found it interesting how many people thought Heidi was Fawkes or had a connection to Fawkes. Giving Fawkes a way to be human and interact with Harry is an interesting story idea though. :-)

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Secrets Revealed**

(Mon, Oct 14)

Harry was smiling to himself as he walked towards the Headmaster's office. He would find a way to destroy that thing. He had several ideas in mind.

He also had the memories of this last weekend in mind too, causing him to smile more. He'd spent half of Saturday and almost all of Sunday in the Room of Requirement with Heidi. Hermione and Ron were a little upset with him for leaving them behind, but he told him that he just needed some time alone to think and plan, hinting at the prophecy, but not saying so as not to be outright lying to them.

Heidi had taught him some of the basics of Potions that he hadn't grasped before, explaining simply and patiently, allowing him to now understand the subject much better, although still not as well as Hermione. They had also spent a lot of time talking and playing with spells. He also showed her that he had been working on casting silently and she was pleased with his progress.

In the Headmaster's office, Harry tried to be natural, although he felt a little nervous. He hoped the Headmaster assumed that was because of the subject matter.

They took a dive into the Pensieve again, this time to learn about an eleven year-old Tom Riddle. Harry was disturbed as to how alike their childhood was (considering the Dursley's house wasn't much different than an orphanage) and he was thankful he didn't turn out like Riddle.

At the end of their session, he worked his courage up because he had been unable to walk over to the bookshelf in the back, where he could see the device he needed. As Dumbledore started to sit down, Harry whipped out his wand and silently summoned the device to him then silently banished it as it went by him, throwing it hard at the rock wall near the door.

Surprisingly, the device hit the rock and fell down, dented but unbroken. Knowing what he had to do now, Harry shouted, "_Reducto!_" wanting every bit of strength he had. As the spell left his wand, he saw another spell race by him. Harry's spell hit first and the device exploded into bits which hit the shield that formed a fraction of a second too late.

"Harry! Explain yourself now!" a stern voice commanded.

Turning slowly, he saw the Headmaster looking as angry as he had when the man came to rescue him from Barty Crouch Jr. It was all Harry could do not to take a step backward.

"I'm sorry, Headmaster, but that device was harmful and it had to be destroyed," he said more firmly than he felt.

Dumbledore slowly lowered his wand, but kept it out. "Do you know what that device did? What peril you have put us in?"

"Yes, sir. I do know what it did."

Feeling a slight fuzzy feeling in his brain, Harry brought his feeble Occlumency shields up and hoped they were good enough as he looked away for a moment.

The Headmaster relaxed a little. "You don't seem to be under the Imperius, still, you have a lot of explaining to do, Harry."

"I can throw off the Imperius, sir. Or have you forgotten?"

Dumbledore pursed his lips while thinking for a moment. "It seems I had forgotten that. Now, please explain yourself, Harry. I won't ask again." The commanding tone was back in his voice.

"That device caused more harm than good, Headmaster, by limiting protections here in the school." Harry said, hoping that Heidi would hurry. She told him she would come when they talked yesterday.

"I don't believe that to be true. Where did you hear this information?"

"I'm sorry, Headmaster, but I'm not at liberty to say yet. However, I believe you will get an answer shortly," Harry told him.

Dumbledore started raising his wand again when the Sorting Hat spoke up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Albus," causing the Headmaster to look at the hat. "If you do anything to Mr Potter, I can promise you that she'll be so pissed off at you that I doubt you will remain Headmaster."

"Who is this _she_?" Dumbledore said tightly, starting to lose his patience.

The door slammed opened behind Harry causing everyone to turn and look. Harry saw Heidi and about wilted with relief. He also about wilted with desire as he saw her in tight bluish-purple shiny leather that was form fitting with matching boots. The outfit was the exact shade of her eyes and made her look like she meant business.

"That would be me," she said authoritatively. The door closed behind her without her making a motion. When the Headmaster's wand turned her direction, she looked at it contemptuously. "Put that down before you get hurt, Albus. If you try to cast a spell at me I shall be forced to take it away from you." Her voice became very soft but easily heard in the office. "And you don't want that, do you?"

For the first time, Harry saw the great Albus Dumbledore look surprised and maybe even a little afraid.

"Who are you and how did you get into my school?" he asked her. He then looked at Harry. "You destroyed that device so she could sneak in, didn't you?"

Heidi laughed at him. "Oh Albus, you're so amusing at times. You think you know so much and are in control, the one everyone looks to. Yet you are know so very little and are not nearly as in control as you believe yourself to be. Come, sit, and let's discuss this as adults," she told him, motioning Harry towards the sitting area.

"I believe at my desk would be better," he told her, only to see it and his chair shrink to be the size of mice and run to the back of his office under a narrow table.

It was all Harry could do not to laugh as the old man stared at Heidi and was forced to come join them.

An elf popped in with tea for three, which Heidi poured, making it exactly like each of them liked it, all without asking how that was.

"Now that we are seated as equals, although you are the least Albus," she said as she handed him his tea. He looked outraged for a moment before he started to chuckle. "This is a very good prank, Miss. Who are you exactly?"

"This is no prank, Albus, but my identity is probably a good place to start, since I owe that explanation to Harry as well." She sipped her tea before putting it down. "Harry calls me Heidi. That is the name I call have called myself ever since I was able. My parents, such as they were, called me…"

Harry was on the edge of his seat and noticed that the Headmaster seemed very tense as well.

"...Hogwarts."

One of her hands came up and caught Harry's cup with a wandless and silent spell as he dropped it in surprise; the cup floated to the table in front of them. However, she only watched Albus slosh hot liquid into his lap as the man startled in his surprise.

Dumbledore grabbed the front of his robes and held it away from him before he looked at her for a long moment.

"Yes," she confirmed for him, "it's true, I am the physical avatar of Hogwarts. I am also quite sentient and alive. Let me also correct your statement from a moment ago. This is not your school; it is my school. The original Hogwarts charter says so and any other charter that some moronic Ministry or self-styled Board of Governors says is valid … isn't. I am the final arbitrator and highest authority in this school."

After a long moment to process that, Dumbledore finally said, "Then that device wasn't only about the wards of the school, was it?"

"No, Albus. It did allow you to always know the status of the school wards, but in doing so, it also limited me and prevented me from being who I was meant to be. Rowena knew I would become sentient given enough time. I was to be the final and most effective defense of the school, much like Slytherin's beast was originally a defender of the school until Tom Riddle corrupted him." She sighed. "I shall have to make another basilisk now."

Both males looked at her in shock, although for different reasons.

Heidi put her hand gently on Harry's arm. "Don't worry; you'll never have to fight it again. Now that I'm able to guard it, unlike four years and fifty-three years ago, it will never be loose except in the school's defense and even then only on the outside grounds."

She looked back to Dumbledore. "That device was created almost three hundred years ago, so I don't hold you responsible for it." Heidi sent a scathing look to the portrait of a former Headmaster, one who ran from his picture. "The imbecile who created it didn't really know any better and I wasn't sentient yet to prevent it. If he hadn't created it, I would have attained my sentience over a hundred years sooner, I think." She sighed again. "I probably could have prevented Tom Riddle from becoming Voldemort; just as I could have prevented every misadventure that Harry has experienced here." She became even more serious. "I shall prevent all other acts of evil in the future that I am able. I will also help Harry to destroy Voldemort and to survive."

"There are some things that are beyond anyone's control," Dumbledore said cryptically.

"While that is true in a logical sense, those things that you believe _that_ to be true about _do_ have a solution. I will tell Harry what he needs to know and help him to the best of my ability." She glared at him as if daring him to disagree.

Harry was glad he wasn't receiving that look. He also thought Dumbledore was being very brave when he answered.

"I would expect even you to be wrong and make mistakes at times."

Heidi surprised them both by laughing. "Oh Albus, you think so much more highly of yourself than you should. I'm sure I will make mistakes over time, but I will make none in safe-guarding Harry if it can possibly be prevented. For example, I know how to destroy Horcruxes, even those that are in living hosts without killing the host. That's important, wouldn't you say?"

Harry thought she was taunting the man, but didn't understand why nor the Headmaster's brief look of fear. "What are Horcruxes?" They sounded important, but he'd never heard the term before.

Now she looked at Harry. "We will be having many conversations over the next week and I shall tell you what you need to know and help you plan accordingly. Horcruxes are one of those topics." She returned to the Headmaster. "For example, did you know that there are two Horcruxes in the castle at this moment?"

Harry noted the Headmaster looked surprised, and as if the topic was one he didn't want to discuss.

"Albus, I think this will conclude our conversation for the moment. I believe you are free during breakfast and for the hour immediately after. I will return then and discuss the changes that need to happen in the school."

"You're not planning on giving me a choice, are you?" he asked, sounding somewhat peeved.

"The time for you choosing to do the right thing instead of the easy thing is past. I shall tell you what needs to be made right and you can tell me how you plan to implement it," she told him, staring at him.

Dumbledore winced as his own words were thrown at him before he finally nodded in acceptance.

"Very well, if you'll excuse us, Harry and I must go have a conversation. I believe he said he had several questions for me the last time we talked, and I think I've probably answered only one of them," she said looking at her rescuer fondly with a smile. "Good night, Headmaster."

"Good night, Harry, Miss Hogwarts," Dumbledore said tiredly.

Heidi giggled. "Miss Hogwarts, I kinda like the sound of that."

Harry bade the man good-night as he hurried after the avatar. He couldn't help but look at her in her form-fitting leather again and admire what he saw. Of course, he also wondered just was real and what wasn't. What was he to do?

"It's getting a little late, but you're safe with me now that I can go anywhere in the castle," she told him, sounding more like the Heidi he had originally met rather than the take-charge Miss Hogwarts.

He stayed silent, trying to figure out what he thought and what to do. He recognized that they were going back to the Room of Requirement.

"Do I frighten you now?" she asked softly. "Or do you just hate me?"

Harry stopped walking and just looked at her for a moment. "No, you don't frighten me nor do I hate you. Honestly, I don't know what to think right now. I never really had a chance to figure out who you might be. I think I can say that, what did you say, the physical representation of Hogwarts?" When she nodded, he said, "Yeah, I never would have guessed that."

"We need to hurry, Filch is coming this way and it's easier if we just don't run into him." She took off at a very fast stride, forcing Harry to almost have to run to keep up. They didn't have to pace for the door, it was there and open for them to run through before she closed it and it disappeared.

They were back to their normal sitting room, except this time it had two chairs in addition to their normal settee. "If you sit on the sofa, I'll join you. If you prefer us to be apart for this talk, take a chair," she told him looking neutral.

After a moment, Harry took a chair. "Sorry, but I need to be able to think clearly and you make that hard sometimes."

Heidi gave him a very satisfied smile as she took the other chair. "Harry, I told you I'd answer any question you wanted honestly and I meant that. I'll admit to making a small mistake and say that there is one condition to that promise. I won't answer any question that would invade someone's privacy. Other than that, ask away. Oh, and just so you know, as far as I'm concerned, nothing has changed between us. I'm still just Heidi, a seventeen year-old girl who likes Harry." She even blew him a kiss.

Harry blushed a little, something he found hard to control when she teased him. "I don't understand, how can you be like a seventeen year-old girl?"

"That's a fair start," she told him as she leaned back and crossed her legs, legs which Harry admired.

"I have memories almost back to the day I was created. The first fifty or so years are really fuzzy in a few places, but I can tell you about the Founders. However, the magic in me didn't become sentient until about seventeen or so years ago. I didn't have feelings and start to ask questions about myself until then. That's why I think of myself as a seventeen year-old girl. It probably also helps that I'm always surrounded by teenagers, so they influence me the most as far as my personality goes. I have the knowledge of what all the professors that have ever worked here have taught and spoken about - as well as what's in the library - but my personality is not very adult, at least not yet," she finished with a grin.

Harry nodded his understanding with a smile. "That's how you could teach me to cast silently so well, isn't it?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I've seen it taught hundreds of times and merely copied the parts that work best."

He wasn't sure he wanted to ask this, but he thought he had to know. "What professor taught his students with a motivation of kisses?"

Heidi roared with laughter for a moment. "That's a good one, Harry. No, no professor ever did that. That method was used by a Head Girl a couple of centuries ago to teach a boy how to cast the Patronus. I just borrowed the technique because I wanted kisses from you," she told him with a smirk.

That caused Harry to drop his head into his hands and groan.

"What?" she asked, very concerned.

"Are … What are we? How can we?" He groaned again in frustration.

Heidi hurried over and pulled him up and into her arms. "I was afraid of this too. Oh Harry…" She stroked the back of his head as she held him tightly, their chins resting on the other's shoulder.

"Harry," she whispered, making it very intimate, "this is what I was talking about when I said nothing has changed between us. I still care for you as a boy, or rather a young man. I'm still a girl. OK, my magical core isn't like yours, but I'm still a girl, a young woman. I can still kiss you and everything else that girls do with boys and enjoy every second of it. I have feelings for you. I like you very much. I feel very protective of you. I find you cute and hope we can be a couple.

"The only things that are different is that you now know that my magic isn't quite like yours, I have more knowledge than you originally thought, and I'm limited to staying in this castle or very near it. That's all that's changed. Are those really so important that we don't stay friends … or more?"

Harry thought she sounded very concerned, but he didn't want to look at her. He was afraid of what his expression might look like. "No, they aren't that bad. Actually, they're kinda cool, except for the one that you having to stay in the castle," he finally told her.

"I can go as far as the greenhouses and the Quidditch pitch, but those are stretching me and I'm not very powerful out there. In the castle and especially in this room, I'm nearly invincible now that you've freed me.

"And if you haven't figured it out, I'm very, very grateful for my freedom." She kissed his ear.

He couldn't help the smile with the kiss. "I think we'll be all right in time," he finally told her, feeling a little better now. Pulling back and really looking at her, he was surprised to see tear tracks on her cheeks. "Hey, what are these for?" he asked as he lifted one hand and wiped them dry with the back of his fingers.

"I was afraid I was going to lose you, my first almost a boyfriend," she said with a forced smile and her voice on the edge of breaking.

"I don't think so," he told her, holding her tightly around the waist. "I just need a little time to get used to this. Can you still kiss me?" he asked teasingly.

"You better believe it." She grabbed his head with both of her hands and acted like she was trying to snog him to death.

When he could breath again, he realized he was grinning broadly. "I think we'll have to try that again, maybe tomorrow."

She smiled broadly too, all thoughts of tears gone.

"As for the boyfriend thing, that's a definite possibility, but give me a day or two, all right? I think I'd like to get used to everything a little more first. Please?" he pleaded.

"Because you're so nice about it," she told him and then gave him a peck on the lips. "What do you want to do about us? Or really about me being seen? Are you fine with that or should I hide?"

Shaking his head and smiling, "I'd prefer you didn't hide so we could spend more time together."

"I'd like that," she told him tenderly. "I think you'll have a new transfer student the day after tomorrow. I bet she'll even be in Gryffindor," she said mischievously.

"I hope she's in all my classes," he played along with her joke.

"It could happen," she joked back before she kissed him lightly again. "I should probably escort you back. It's after curfew and there are too many teachers and Prefects patrolling the halls to easily miss them all," she informed him as she stepped backwards. "Please don't freak out on me." Heidi morphed into a perfect replica of Professor McGonagall.

Harry blinked hard several times, having to work hard to keep his reaction in. "That was bloody creepy."

The faux-McGonagall laughed in a way that the real one never had in front of students. "Come, no one will question you being out now." She led him out of the room and back towards his house tower.

"What if we run into the real one?" he whispered as they walked down a corridor.

"Your real professor is in her quarters grading papers," she whispered back.

They turned the corner to see Snape walking towards them. He looked at Harry with disdain.

"Good evening, Professor Snape," faux-McGonagall said as they walked by.

"Professor McGonagall," he intoned, stilling watch Harry, who did his best to ignore the greasy git.

It wasn't until they reached the main staircase that Harry felt like he could whisper something. "Is he someone you're going to talk to the Headmaster about tomorrow?"

"Rest assured, Harry, there will by changes by a few of the staff or there will be changes in staff. There will be some changes in regards to the students too, although I'm still thinking that one through. I really need to get my mother's diadem. I'll be able to make better decisions after I have it. I was the reason she created it."

"Huh?" Harry asked ineloquently.

Faux-McGonagall chuckled lightly as she looked at a pair of Hufflepuff Prefects on a far set of stairs. "A story for later this week. I should have it by morning now that my limits have been removed."

When they reached the Gryffindor tower portrait, faux-McGonagall looked at him with her normal no-nonsense look and winked. "Have a pleasant night's rest, Mr Potter. You have only to call me if you need me."

"Thank you, Professor," he said with a smile. "I look forward to our next discussion."

"As do I," she said as she turned and left.

Harry walked in and saw Hermione and Ron at a study table waiting for him and waving him over. Hermione put up a privacy charm and Harry told them what he learned about Tom Riddle. He left all knowledge about Heidi out. They would learn about her in time, at least about her existence. He wasn't sure if he planned to tell them who she really was. He could barely believe it, so he didn't expect them to believe the story.

As Harry slipped into bed, he thought about her a lot, trying to work out how he really felt about her. He couldn't think of her as an it; she kissed far too well. As he was about to fall asleep, he decided he would ask her to be his girlfriend. They could at least try it for awhile and see how it went. He supposed it couldn't be any weirder than all the other weird things he'd done while in school.

"Good-night, Heidi," he whispered into the dark. A very light warm breeze flowed over his face for a few seconds like a caress. His eyes flew wide open as he finally realized what she meant about not sharing private things with him. She was truly everywhere and knew everything that happened in the castle. That was kind of creepy, he thought. He hoped he could avoid thinking about her ability when he took a shower in the morning. He also remember that she was willing to do intimate things with him too. He'd have to take the creepy with the good, he thought as he fell asleep.

* * *

(Tue, Oct 15)

Using his Invisibility Cloak, which was almost always on him like the Map, Harry snuck away during his free period right before lunch and went to the Room of Requirement. Of course she was there waiting for him. This time, she was in a simple floral summer dress, showing some rather nice legs in his opinion. He also noticed a silver circlet on her head with a light blue stone in it.

"Hi," he said a little shyly as he stowed his Cloak away.

"Hi, Harry. I'm glad you came because I was afraid you'd go all weird on me after last night." She looked and sounded hesitant.

"I think I did for a few minutes, but I worked through it as I laid in bed. I've dealt with Veela, Goblins, Centaurs, Trolls, a Phoenix, and a Basilisk on the magical side. Then a diary that possessed a person, a stone that can keep a person alive for almost forever, a magical fiery goblet, and a model of a castle that does strange stuff with wards." He shrugged. "Compared to all that, what's having a girlfriend who's tied to a castle and my favorite place to be from the four places I can remember living in."

Heidi brightened. "Really? You will?"

Walking over to her and putting his arms around her, he smiled and asked, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," she said excitedly as she leaned forward and kissed him hard until they both had breathing problems.

"Wow!" he said, gasping for air. When his breathing became more normal, he said, "I do have one question. Why me?"

She grabbed his head and gave him a quick kiss. "Why not the boy that's practically a perfect gentleman? Or the boy who's actually smart even though he hides it? Or the boy who's very powerful magically? Or the boy who will do the right thing even if it's hard? Or the boy-"

"All right," he interjected and then kissed her to make sure she stopped embarrassing him. "You really do like me then."

"Yes I do. I suppose there have been one or two others that I've seen in the last seventeen years that were tempting; but that's it, they were only tempting. They were never good enough that I wanted to be with them," she admitted with a shrug of indifference. "I want to be with you."

"Thanks, that does make me feel a little better about it all," he confessed.

"I want you to know that I'm glad you asked, but I will suggest that we probably should wait until Saturday to be public about this. That will give you time for everyone else to see you getting to know me before you ask. Does that make sense to you?" She looked at him very caringly, honestly wanting his opinion.

"Yes, it does. When will you be joining us?" He hoped it was soon.

"The Headmaster and I agreed that I would join everyone this evening. I've already sent a few house elves to Diagon Alley to buy things for me so I look like a normal student with a trunk and clothes and everything," she told him excitedly. "I can hardly wait to be with students just like a real person." Her expression became a little more sly. "I can hardly wait to hold my boyfriend's hand and snog him in a broom closet too." At his surprised look, she kissed him quickly and then giggled.

"That last part will be fun," he said, barely believing what he was hearing.

"It'll be fun, you'll see. Be sure to save me a seat at dinner, all right?"

"Of course. I'll introduce you to everyone," he promised.

"Lovely, but don't forget to act like you haven't met me yet."

"That'll be hard when I want to kiss you," he said sheepishly.

"Then one more time before you go to lunch." She kissed him hard again and he returned her passion.

"You're trying to be the perfect girlfriend, aren't you?" he teased her.

She grinned at him. "It's a lot more fun that way, don't you think?"

Harry shook his head in amazement at his luck and left for the Great Hall, really looking forward to Saturday.

— — —

That evening, Harry steered his friend towards the end of the table nearest the head table. He also directed the rest of the sixth years that way, causing Dean to bring Ginny along too.

Ron was casting dirty looks at Dean while Hermione asked, "Harry? Why are you to trying to sit us all down here?"

"Because I heard something today," he said with a grin. "There's going to be a new student and I'm hoping she'll be in Gryffindor." He knew that was no chance of Heidi going anywhere else, but he couldn't say that.

"Really? This late in the year?" Hermione asked, sounding like she didn't believe him.

Harry shrugged but kept smiling. "We'll see soon."

A few minutes after almost everyone was there and the food had been served, the Headmaster walked into the room with an older looking girl in plain Hogwarts robes. Everyone stared and the room became so quiet you could hear their footsteps; there were only a few whispers, which picked up a little when people noticed that Dumbledore had the Sorting Hat in his hand.

"Thank you for your attention," he said amicably. "We have a surprise this evening. I'd like to introduce Miss Heidi Hogin. Miss Hogin is transferring to Hogwarts after being home-schooled previously. She will be starting sixth year. As a new student, we shall sort her. Miss Hogin, if you'll put this on your head please?"

Heidi barely touched the hat to her head when it shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" She smiled sweetly and after handing the hat back, she walked over to the table that was cheering, and to the open place next to Harry, who was waving her over as he clapped.

"I'm glad you could join us," he said very welcomingly. "I'm Harry Potter and these are all the sixth years." Holding his hand out towards each, "Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and his girlfriend and Ron's sister, Ginny Weasley who's in fifth year."

"Hi," she smiled at each of them. "I'm Heidi Hogin, but you can call me Heidi." Several of the boys laughed, while the girls smiled back with a little tension. Ginny even elbowed Dean in the ribs as he seemed to be staring at the new girl.

"Why are you just now joining us instead of in September?" Hermione asked.

"Things recently changed and it was decided I should enroll here. I'm really glad because it was getting boring and lonely before," Heidi explained.

Harry thought that was an artful dodge. "We're glad you're here. I'm not a Prefect, Hermione and Ron are, but I'll still be happy to show you around. The castle is kinda large and it's easy to get lost until you learn it." Knowing who she really was, that was beyond stupid, he thought; but it was generous if she had truly been a new student.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, flashing him a big smile. "That's very kind of you and I think I'd like that. I'm sure Hermione and Ron have many more important things to do, although," she looked at the two of them, "I hope we can be friends. I hope I can be friends with all of you," she said, looking around the group.

"Maybe we should tell her a little about ourselves so she can get to know us faster," Hermione suggested. That took the rest of dinner time.

Back in the common room, the sixth years rearranged a few chairs and sat together, to continue getting to know each other. By the time Heidi went up to the sixth year girls room, which now had an extra bed and a new trunk in it, she was very pleased with the evening.

* * *

(Wed, Oct 16)

The next day, the first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry wondered how that was going to go. He also wondered what had been said to Snape. Heidi had told him that there would be changes, but not what she said to the Headmaster. He was almost a bit put out about that until he realized he wouldn't have known normally if the school's Board of Governors talked to the Headmaster. So he did his best to put his bruised feelings behind him.

When Snape started the class, he looked at Heidi for a moment, who sat there looking at him very innocently. "Miss Hogin, I will expect you to keep up with this class as if you had been here for the entire year. I don't know why the Headmaster accepted you at this late date, but I will not tolerate excuses for not being able to do the work, especially at the NEWT level."

"Of course, Professor. I've looked at the book and I don't foresee any problems." Heidi kept up her innocent act, which caused Harry to struggle to hold in his amusement. The next comment didn't help.

"Splendid, another Miss Granger," Snape drawled.

Snape spent ten minutes explaining a new hex, one to encase your opponent in ice. At the end of his mini-lecture, he said, "Everyone up and practice on the dummies at the side of the room."

The whole class of Slytherins and Gryffindors stood and each picked out a practice dummy that was human shaped and started to cast the spell. Everyone in the class said the trigger words as they cast, a few even shouted them.

"Stop!" Snape yelled, causing the entire class to become silent. "That was not what I said to do. Potter, twenty points from Gryffindor for not following directions by casting silently."

Harry did his best to hide his anger until a soft gong sounded in the room, causing everyone to look around, even Snape. A male voice that sounded suspiciously like the Sorting Hat came from the ceiling. "Point alteration rejected, no such directions were given."

Snape cast a livid look at Harry for a few seconds before he realized Harry's surprise was completely genuine. Taking a moment to bring himself back under control, he told the class, "You will cast the spell completely silently. Begin."

Heidi raised her hand and the rest of the class watched instead of starting on the practical.

"Miss Hogin?" Snape asked tightly.

Heidi demonstrated for the others why she was put into Gryffindor. "Professor, may we have a couple of minutes to speak the spell to get used to it since it is a new spell and to slowly make it silent?"

"No, and twenty points from Gryffindor for a stupid question."

The gong sounded again and the voice spoke. "Point alteration rejected, it was a valid question."

Snape clenched his fists and struggled with his emotions for a moment. "The answer is still no. Begin practicing silently."

By the end of the class, only Heidi and Harry were able to cast the new spell silently.

Outside the classroom and as soon as the Gryffindors were sure Snape couldn't hear them, they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"I don't know how that happened, twice, but it was beautiful," Seamus proclaimed. The rest of the group agreed, even Hermione had found it amusing. Harry looked at Heidi and although she only smiled back he still knew she was behind it.

* * *

(Thu, Oct 17)

It wasn't until Thursday evening that Harry and Heidi could get away without anyone else coming. She had been very popular so far, more so with the boys. If she hadn't already told him she was his girlfriend, he would have been jealous. As it was, he knew he only had to bide his time for two more days before he could start treating her like his girlfriend. His tour of the castle for her now was one of the things they'd planned to show that they had spent enough time together for Harry to have a real interest in her and to ask her.

As they walked, they really talked about classes together and what they each thought, rather than about the castle. Harry even asked her about herself, favorite colors and such. He found out that she liked darker colors, like the dark blue blouse and jeans she was wearing now.

It didn't take too long until they ended up at the Room of Requirement; their place to talk where they could never be overheard. She sat him on the settee and then sat sideways on his lap with her arms around his neck.

"I kinda like this," he joked with her.

"Me too," she joked back before turning serious. "I also thought you might need me being close as we discuss a few things, including an evil wizard."

Harry couldn't help the angry feelings that came over him. The _thing_ had killed his parents and was ultimately responsible for Sirius's death too. "How do we kill him?"

"Well, I guess there's nothing like jumping straight to the point." Her joke fell flat as his expression didn't change. "Harry, I know he's wronged you greatly, but there's no need to be worried about the outcome. I _will_ help you to victory and you _will_ survive if I have anything to say about it. Understand?"

"Yes," he said, more despondent than angry now. "It's just that he's hurt my family so much and I feel like Fate's bitch because of all of this."

"That's the spirit, use humor to deal with it," she told him with a smile.

"I'm not joking, I'm serious."

She caressed the side of his face for a moment. "I know you are, Harry; but I will help you. Let's start with something that Dumbledore is taking his sweet time telling you about: Horcruxes. In short, they are vile things. They are created by murdering someone in cold-blood, which fractures your soul. Then you use a very special spell to pull that fragment off and merge it with an object. The theory goes that if someone then kills your normal body, that the rest of your soul, magic, and non-corporeal person will not go away because of those anchors here."

"You're serious?" he asked in wonder. At her nod, he added, "That is vile."

"Very," she agreed. "Now, Riddle did that seven times, even though he was trying for six; that is, six Horcruxes plus the last seventh part as his main self to end up with seven pieces. He did that, except that it caused his soul to be so unstable that he accidentally created an eighth one, or so Dumbledore thinks."

"He knows about this?" he asked surprised. "No, he must. Why else would we be going over the memories about Riddle. Does he know what they all are?"

"Correct, Harry, and no he doesn't. You destroyed one when you destroyed the diary nearly four years ago. He destroyed one when he found a ring." She opened her hand and a cracked gold ring was there with a gold stone and strange symbol visible through the jeweled stone. "I took this from him because it rightfully belongs to your family. It was originally in the family named Peverell, but from what I know, you're the last descendant who hasn't died. I would suggest you store it in your vault or someplace safe and don't tell anyone about it."

"Is it dangerous?" Harry asked as he picked it up and looked at it closely.

"Not really. It has the ability for you to contact the dead," causing Harry to whip his head up and look at her, "which you really shouldn't do just like you shouldn't dwell on dreams and forget the real world," she looked pointedly at him and he understood her reference to what Dumbledore said in his first year. "The main danger is people wanting to steal it from you."

"Right, my vault sounds like a good place then. So, we have to go hunt for these Horcruxes and destroy them first?" he asked, trying to get a better grip on the problem.

"That's what Dumbledore would tell you," she said with a grin.

"But you don't think so, do you?" Harry wondered just what she found so amusing.

"Harry, you have to understand something about Albus Dumbledore, and I've been observing him for over fifty years. He will come up with complex and convoluted plans and then bet everything on them. Lucky for him, he has enough magical power and positions of authority that they work most of the time. Him placing you with the Dursleys is one part of his very scheming plan to destroy Riddle."

Harry scowled. "Considering how well _that_ turned out, I'm not sure I want to hear the rest."

"The short version is that he means to send you on a hunt for them all, although he is trying to figure out where they are to help you; then you'd have to kill Riddle in a one-on-one duel. So he's not being unhelpful, he's just not doing things as simply as he could," she explained.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"First, I think we should destroy any Horcruxes that are easily available and any that are easy to obtain." She shrugged, "After all, he might find another one or two before next summer. Other than that, I think we should hold tight here, then you stay here during the summer and we entice Riddle to come get you, trapping him instead, and then take care of the rest of the Horcruxes. If all goes well, you'll be done with all of this before next September and we all get to live happily ever after. No convoluted plans, and very little luck required."

"Right, that does sound easier. What about the ones that we already know of?" he asked, becoming concerned as her look saddened.

"I mentioned the diary and the ring. One was hidden here in a version of this room…"

He was startled and tried to back away as the circlet that he'd seen the other day shimmered into view on her forehead.

"Shush, Harry, it's fine now," she told him to calm him down. "I wouldn't wear it if it was still possessed. I showed it to Dumbledore the other morning so he'd know I had found one and then I cleansed it of the soul fragment. Now that it's normal again, I can wear it as Rowena Ravenclaw intended for me to wear it."

"You're sure?" he asked hopefully.

"Absolutely sure, Harry. The next one is not so easy to discuss though." She caressed his face for a moment before moving the hair away from his forehead. "I'm sorry, Harry. This is the accidental one."

His eyes went wide and his hand went to his scar. "That's why I feel things from him and see visions?"

Heidi just threw her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth. Harry slowly put his arms around her and held on, grateful for the comfort while he tried to work through this new revelation.

"Harry, I promise that I'll remove it from you this weekend. I'll get it out of you and you'll never have to feel anything from him again. He'll never hurt you that way again. I promise," she told him fervently as she continued to hug him.

He shook his head wishing it wasn't true, but deep down, he knew it was. It explained too many things: visions, pain, and why Riddle had possessed him so easily at the Ministry last year. "Did … does Dumbledore know?" he whispered, not wanting to say it any louder, not wanting it to be true despite what he now thought.

"Yes," she said simply. "His way of dealing with it is one of things I … violently disagree with. Shush," she said as he started to ask about it, "there's no need to mention his method other than to say that I really don't like it. But don't worry, I really can remove the vile thing from your scar without hurting you at all. I can even remove the scar afterward, if you like. The choice is yours."

"You can remove my scar?" he asked in wonder, grateful for a different topic.

"If you want. If you want to keep it, it will be lighter, thinner. It really is your choice and it won't change how I feel about you," she assured him, still hugging him.

He loosened his grip on her and the moved back a little to see each other's face. "Thank you." He thought about it some more. "I think on Saturday. How long will it take?"

"Just a few minutes to cleanse you of it, then you'll want a few hours of sleep to recover. We can start after lunch and you'll be back by dinner time." She caressed his face again and smiled lovingly at him.

Leaning forward, he gave a gentle soft kiss. "Thank you. No one has ever really cared about me like this. I mean I'm sure my parents did, but no one else. Sirius tried, but he never really had the chance."

"I'm glad you're fine with my ideas. You have surprised me that you aren't more excited about not going back to the Dursleys. I know you don't like them," she half-said half-asked.

Harry broke into a grin. "That's totally brilliant and I'm really happy about it, but compared to being told about Horcruxes and having one in you…"

Heidi nodded. "You're right. When you put it in perspective like that."

"It's still great and I look forward to it. Can I stay anywhere I want?" he asked, knowing that she really was the final authority.

"You can. I think one of the guest suites would be the best idea; there are only a few and they don't get used very much," she suggested.

"That sounds good; you'll have to show me later." Harry felt like wasn't being very fair to Dumbledore with his next question, but the man didn't seem to care about Harry personally as much as Harry thought he had, or as much as the old man had said last year. "What did Dumbledore say about my going back to the Dursleys? I assume you told him?"

"Well," her expression turned a little sly, "I mentioned that you didn't have to go back, not that I didn't plan for you to, but even my suggestion was frowned up on - a lot. I pointed out that his plan had you going back for only a month and you never had to go back every again after that, so why bother with the month at all when you'd be far safer here. He argued but I think it was only because it wasn't his idea. It goes back to how I pointed out that he likes to be in control."

"That must have been a fun conversation," he said with a grin, still thinking about giving Dumbledore a hard time for his bad ideas.

Heidi laughed. "Fun for me, anyway. He was not used to not being in control and even now, he's scheming as to how to twist my ideas into what he wants." She sighed. "I'd say he'll learn, but he may not have the time."

"What do you mean?" Harry was perplexed. Did she mean Dumbledore was going to die soon.

"You've seen his hand, right?"

"The blackened one? Yeah," he replied.

"It's cursed and there's nothing he can do about it. I don't expect him to live beyond the summer. If he's lucky, he'll see you and I defeat Riddle." She looked at him very seriously again. "Harry, please promise me, if he takes you to go find any Horcrux, you must do as little as possible there and bring as much of it back here to be dealt with. I know spells and rituals that he's never heard of and I can make it far safer than he ever can. Please promise me," she begged him. "I don't want to lose you to a curse that could be avoided."

Harry nodded solemnly. "I promise."

"Thank you," she kissed him gently. "I have one more task for you to do soon, maybe in a month or so. I'll teach you to Apparate and then you need to go to the graveyard where Riddle regained a body. I'll teach you a spell and I want you to use it to remove all the bones there. I don't want that avenue of rebirth to be possible just in case something goes wrong."

"Right, that makes sense. Why didn't Dumbledore ever do that?" Harry wondered.

"I don't know as he's never said, but I would guess because he doesn't think it's needed, that you'll kill Riddle so why bother," she said with a shrug.

"I'll do it over Christmas holiday." He looked at her for a moment, his grin slowly growing. "Learning to Apparate; that'll be brilliant."

She laughed and he joined her. "I'm sure you'll do well, Harry. Are you all right now?"

"Yeah, I think so. I mean I still want to work through this a little more, but I think I'm fine for now. Thank you for telling me when Dumbledore wouldn't."

"You're welcome." Her expression turned mischievous. "Since we still have a little extra time before anyone misses us, how about we put all of that behind us and just be girlfriend and boyfriend?"

As she leaned forward, Harry breathed, "I like that idea a lot."

* * *

(Sat, Oct 26)

Harry, Heidi, Seamus, Ron, Parvati, and Lavender had been playing Exploding Snap for most of the morning. As it neared lunch time, Harry decided that he really needed to hurry if he and Heidi were to have the afternoon to themselves.

As Seamus was putting the cards up and they were all getting ready to go to lunch, Harry turned to Heidi. "Hey, being a Gryffindor means that we sometimes do crazy things that doesn't always make sense but is still the right thing to do. Will you go out with me?"

Everyone in hearing distance turned and looked at Harry in shock, except for Heidi.

"Go out. On a date or be your girlfriend?" she asked curiously, although she seemed to be having to hold back a grin.

"Why not both?" Harry asked back, completely at ease only because he already knew what her answer would be. "Be my girlfriend and we can go on a date on the next Hogsmeade weekend. We could even spend this afternoon together, just the two us."

"My, you _are_ bold and courageous," she said teasingly as she slowly stepped towards, throwing her arms around his neck at the last moment and then kissing him quickly on the lips. "Perhaps after lunch we can try that a little _slower_."

There were a few calls and whistles from around the room. Most of the girls looked fairly happy for them; the others looked like they were trying to figure out how that happened.

"Good for you, mate," Neville told him with a grin.

"Yeah, good for you," Ron and Seamus said together.

Harry walked her to the Great Hall for lunch. He was not surprised to see everyone looking at them and a few pointing at them too. "Sorry, for the attention" he told her in a soft voice. "This'll probably take a few days to die down."

"I really don't care, Harry," she told him back. "I get you and the rest doesn't matter."

He liked her even more right then. Harry was also pleased that Hermione seemed to be honestly happy for him when she joined them for lunch.

The most amusing part of lunch for him was watching the professors. There was no doubt they had seen Harry and Heidi walking in holding hands and sitting very close together, acting like boyfriend and girlfriend. With the exception of Dumbledore, all the rest kept shooting puzzled glances in his direction.

— — —

After lunch, his friends were considerate enough to let them have some time alone for just the two of them. It didn't take too long for them to get to the Room of Requirement with no one being any wiser. Instead of it being configured as their normal sitting room, it was fairly small and had a bed on tall legs that would put him at the height of her waist.

"Climb up and make yourself comfortable," she told him, completely business-like. "What is your decision about your scar? Keep it or remove it?"

"I think keep it," he said after a moment. "It is sort of my signature mark. Thinner and lighter does sound nice, though." He was so nervous about this.

As able to read his thoughts, she told him, "Don't be nervous. I've neutralized a Horcrux before and everything will be all right. I'm going to put you to sleep and when you wake up, you'll be as good as new - or when you were as a baby," she finished with a wink. "I've even got a surprise for you. If you're really good, you can have a kiss too."

Harry chuckled nervously. "OK, that sounds good."

Heidi waved her hand over his face. "Sleep Harry."

— — —

When he opened his eyes, he saw the pretty face he was hoping to see. "Did it work?" he asked sleepily.

She smiled at him and held up a hand mirror.

Harry looked at his forehead in wonder. His scar was maybe half the thickness it used to be and more of an indention, like a normal forehead wrinkle, even if it was mostly vertical. "Wow," he said softly.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Tired."

"I think that's because you're low on magic. I had to use some of your magic to help me fight it off. It really didn't want to be removed, but I won," she told him with a smile. "You're free of it, of him."

"Thanks."

"Here, take this. It's a Pepperup Potion. It'll help you get through the rest of the day. However, get lots of sleep tonight. Tomorrow, we need to come back here and check your magic. I'm not certain yet, but I'm almost sure that you'll end up with a little more because your body had to devote a little bit to always containing that Horcrux."

She lovingly stroked his hair as he took the potion.

"Yuck, your potions don't taste any better."

Heidi chuckled at him. "That's just the way they are. Now, if you'll sit up, I'll show you a small surprise."

Harry was feeling better by the second, thanks to the potion. He noticed that his bed now had a headboard on it, so he sat up and moved back to lean against it.

Heidi climbed up and sat next to him on the bed before putting a book in his lap.

"That's my potions book for this year," he said, confused as to why this was a surprise.

"Open it please," she told him with a hint of excitement. "You've noticed two styles of notes in the margins, haven't you? You know the stuff that makes Hermione crazy?"

"Yeah," he told her, chuckling. "It's usually just the one style, but sometimes there is another one." He flipped the pages and stopped. "Here's the one you normally see." He pointed it out. It took him longer to find the other. "Here's the second one." He suddenly looked at her very seriously. "Wait, you know who wrote this, don't you?"

"I do." She put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him next to her. "That second style, the one that's not found as much? That's your mother's writing."

Harry sucked in his breath in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

Slowly, he rubbed his fingers over the writing so he could touch something of his mother. He had the Map and Cloak from his dad, but this was the only thing from his mother. After a minute or so, he looked at her with very shiny eyes. "Thank you."

"It's not much, but I thought you'd like to know."

"It's wonderful." Flipping back to the beginning of the book, he pointed to the inscription. "Who's the Half-Blooded Prince? That's what's making Hermione crazy."

"Were you aware that your mother and Severus Snape were childhood friends because they grew up near each other?" she asked very casually.

He blink at her in surprise. "You're not serious, are you? My mother and him?"

"Yes. They were actually very good friends until he became involved with the Death Eater crowd." She pointed at the book. "That's why you won't see any of her writing in the last half of the book. He wasn't very nice to her a few times and then one day he really went overboard and it ended their friendship. However," she smiled broadly at him, "that was good for you as it gave James Potter a chance to become a good friend and eventually your father."

Harry had to clear his throat as he found his voice, but it still sounded weak. "You mean Snape could have been my father?"

Heidi laughed and then leaned over and kissed his temple. "I don't know, Harry. However, I will say that if Severus and Lily had married, he'd be a very different man. Losing your mother's friendship really changed him and for the worse. You shouldn't tell him that you know, but I don't believe I've shared anything all that private with you. Several people could have told you that story if they had wanted to."

Shaking his head, he told her, "I don't understand why no one really talks about my parents. If they ever mention them, the topic is dropped very soon after."

Now Heidi sighed. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'll try to make that up to you and tell you about your parents, and the Marauders. But to answer your question, I think the reason is because their death, and the last part of that war, was a very difficult time for everyone. It's a time they'd rather not think about because it brings up unhappy memories."

He nodded. "I guess I can understand that. I don't like to think about my childhood because of the unhappy memories."

"So, are you feeling better?" she asked, obviously changing the subject.

"I am. Is it time for dinner yet?"

"Not quite." She licked her lips and smiled with anticipation. "So we have time for a few kisses if you want them."

Harry put the book down and turned to her, only too happy to comply.

* * *

.


	3. Cleansing

**Chapter 3 - Cleansing**

(Fri, Dec 20)

Harry chuckled at Heidi's joke about trolls as they walked into the Room of Requirement. Tonight it was mostly their normal sitting room, but with a few things added to make it more romantic, like the flowers and the soft looking animal skin by the fire.

"You really do look very pretty tonight," he told her after he closed the door and it disappeared.

"Thank you, Harry. You look handsome yourself and I think you were the best looking one at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party."

"I'm glad we left early," he said. "I was getting tired of how he kept going on and on about us."

"That's the way he is and it's best to ignore him." She pulled him to the settee which had a table in front that had two presents on it.

"You didn't peek, did you?" he asked, giving her a pointed look.

"No, I promise that I only had the elf bring it here. It probably was a good idea to have it wrapped at the shop," she told him with an easy smile as she reached into a pocket and pulled out a golden chain. "This isn't a Christmas present, but please take this and wear it. It'll make me feel better."

"Why?" he asked as he took the necklace that looked like very thin golden rope and held it for a moment.

"It's an emergency Portkey. If _**you**_ say 'Heidi help me now' while it's touching your skin, it will bring you here." She caressed his cheek for a moment. "I want you to have a fun time with your friends over the holidays, but I also want you safe too since I can't leave here."

He nodded and put it on, glad it wasn't girly looking.

"I'm working on a way for me to be able to leave the castle with you one day, but it'll probably take years before that happens. I'm not very good with new research. I can make small extensions easily enough, but wholly new work is hard for me," she admitted sadly.

"That's all right," he assured her, "I don't need to leave that often. Of course, when I do, it will be easier to get back here anyway since you taught me to Apparate over the last few weeks. I won't have to go to the classes for that next term," he grinned.

"Sorry, Harry, but you'll should go and pretend to need at least a couple of lessons so people don't think you already know. But I do have one more 'not-a-gift' for your safety," she told him slyly. "I've changed the wards on the castle so they're attuned to your magic and they'll let you through. However," she turned more serious, "please only do that in an emergency if anyone is around. They shouldn't know that you can do that."

He grinned at her despite her warning. "But think of the pranks I could play on Snape."

"If you want to play a prank on Snape, I'm happy to help, but please leave Apparating inside the castle a secret for now. You'll draw the attention of too many people that you don't want to have looking at you if you do that and are caught, and I mean more than Hermione Granger and her thousand questions," she finished with a smile.

Harry had to laugh. "I may have to do it in front of only her our last day of school."

"That might be possible," she agreed good-naturedly as she picked up a colorfully wrapped box from the table and handed it to him. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

He started ripping the paper off. "This was a good idea to give these early because I want to see you open your present too." Opening the box, he found the highly polished handle of an ornate knife with a scabbard about eight inches long. "Wow! This is incredible." Curious, he pulled it out and was surprised when it kept going and going until he had a full-length sword. "How?"

"The scabbard has an expansion charm on it so it's much longer on the inside than the outside," she explained. "It wasn't too hard to make. That sword, though, is very special. I know you used Godric Gryffindor's magical sword to kill the basilisk, but this was his sword before that one was created by the Goblins. It was hidden and only I knew where it was."

Harry held it out and moved it around a little. "It has a good feel," he remarked as he slowly slid it back into the scabbard so he didn't hurt one of them with it. "It's special and I'll take good care of it," he promised.

"When you get back, we'll learn together. I have many memories of Godric and Salazar having sword fights for exercise, so I should know the techniques."

"Thank you," he said fervently as he hugged her tightly.

"You're welcome. I thought you should have some introduction to the 'manly arts' as Godric used to say," she told him teasingly.

He made a face at her before grabbing the other present and handing it to her. "This isn't as old or as special, but I hope you like them anyway. It was hard to think of something for the girl who can have practically anything."

Heidi laughed prettily as she ripped the paper off the box.

"I found these in Sirius's house last summer and thought they'd be great for you. It also was a good reminder to have the house locked up. There's no telling what would been stolen out of there if it was left unattended for too long," he groused as he thought of Mundungus Fletcher and some of the stories he'd heard about the scoundrel.

Inside the box, Heidi found two hair combs, a necklace, a bracelet, and a broach - all silver with intricate designs.

"I hope you like them," he said nervously.

Reaching for him, she pulled his head to her and kissed him. "Thank you, Harry, they're beautiful."

"I, err, know you can't really let your circlet be seen by everyone, but I thought you should have some jewelry you can wear," he explained.

"It was a good idea and you have good taste," she said has she conjured a hand mirror and put the combs in her hair before putting the rest of it on her. "I'm not sure how long they'll stay in because I like you running your fingers through my hair."

As they both chuckled, she stood and pulled him over to the skin in front of the fire. Tossing a small pillow she had brought from the settee down on the floor, she said, "Lay down, please." When he did, she laid down next to him, her head on his shoulder and an arm draped over his body. "There," she said very contentedly.

Harry put his arm around her and slowly rubbed it up and down her arm and side, very content as well, enjoying the moment.

"Heidi? Was it your idea for Hermione to start spending more time with Neville after she was so upset about Ron and Lavender?" he asked.

"Yes. I told her she should try it. I thought it would give her and Neville a chance to gain a little confidence in relationships. It won't last long, most teenage relationships don't, but I think it could be good for them," she explained as she gently ran her hand over his chest.

"Will that be true for us too?" he asked a little hesitantly.

"Do you want our relationship to last or be a learning one?" she asked quietly. When he didn't answer after along time, she prompted him. "Harry?"

"I don't know," he said finally. "This is my first serious relationship and everyone talks about having fun with various girls, but I'm also really happy. I wished you could come outside and fly with me, but we have flown here in this room too. It wasn't the same, but it was fun," he ended a little lamely.

"Oh Harry," she caressed his face as she looked up at him. "I'll go flying outside with you. We just have to stay near the castle." She stretched up and kissed him tenderly. "I'll definitely have to find a way to get out of the castle more easily."

"Heidi-"

"Shush," she put her hand over his lips for a second. "I will find a way and I appreciate the patience you have."

"OK," he finally said, letting it drop. "What are you going to do while I'm at the Weasleys for the holidays?"

"I need to finish cleaning the castle." She chuckled for a moment. "You can't tell anyone, but this is Filch's last year. I told the Headmaster that since he didn't really clean that much and that was his main job, then he had to go."

"Really?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a giggle. "And I need to finish the spiritual cleansing."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Harry, you have noticed that you haven't seen Peeves for the last couple of months, right?" When he didn't answer, she poked him in the side, causing him to squirm.

"No, I guess I hadn't. It's been so nice I didn't even think of him," he told her.

"You can't tell anyone this either," she told him conspiratorially, "but I told the Headmaster that he had to hire a new History teacher by the new term in January because I was going to banish Binns over the holidays. He didn't believe I could so I told him I'd banish Peeves back to the dimension he came from as proof."

"That's incredible." He looked at her closely. "How did Dumbledore take that?"

"You could say he wasn't very happy," she said with a chuckle.

Harry joined her for a moment before his mirth turned to a sigh. "I bet we have to get back soon. Do we have time for a few kisses first?" he asked hopefully.

Heidi pushed herself up to one elbow before sliding over so she was lying on top of him. "There's almost always time for a few kisses," she told him in a sultry voice before proceeding to do just that.

By the time they left for the dorms, Harry was tempted to tell Ron he wasn't going to The Burrow tomorrow, but that would have created problems he didn't want for either of them.

* * *

(Mon, Jan 6)

Harry walked to the Headmaster's office, fingers firmly entwined with Heidi's. Their reunion a few days ago had been breath-taking - literally. They had run off to be alone for a couple of hours to snog and to talk after being apart for almost two weeks.

"I can tell which parts you worked on," he told her as they walked down the corridor. "Some of it is a lot cleaner."

"Thank you, Harry," she said sweetly. "I've heard that a few others have noticed too."

"I know there's only been one day of class, but how are the rumors about the new History teacher, Professor Li?" he asked.

"So far most of them have been positive, other than those grumbling about the inability to catch up on their sleep in that class," she told him with a chuckle. "The Headmaster seems have picked a good teacher, although she'd have to be really bad to be worse than Binns."

"Very true," Harry agreed, remembering his History of Magic classes with distaste as they approached their destination.

With Heidi, Harry didn't have to have the password to get past the gargoyle. It just moved for them as they approached. The Headmaster bade them to enter when they knocked.

"Ah, good evening, Harry. Miss Hogwarts, I didn't expect you to join us," he said neutrally.

"I didn't think it could hurt and it might even help," she told him very politely, trying not to be too difficult considering some of their less than pleasant meetings in the past.

With a resigned look, Dumbledore launched into the tale for this session, and another Pensieve memory, which revolved around Horace Slughorn and Tom Riddle a little over fifty years ago. The idea of Horcruxes were mentioned, and Harry assumed this is when Dumbledore would have told him about the things if Heidi hadn't explained a couple of months ago.

"So that's why you asked him to teach here," Harry half-asked half-stated at the end. "You want that memory."

Dumbledore smiled tightly. "That was one reason, Harry. That is also a task which I am giving to you. I need you to get the full memory from Professor Slughorn."

"Seven," Heidi suddenly said, the first she'd spoken since offering help at the beginning of the session.

The Headmaster frowned at her for a moment before turning back. "Harry, it may be difficult, but I'm sure you'll succeed in obtaining the memory. In fact, you must because we can go no further without it."

"You can go further right now, if you desire, Headmaster," Heidi told him. "I remember that moment as I do every other that I've experienced. The number of Horcruxes that Tom Riddle intended to make was seven.

"We all know now that he made an accidental one, which has been disposed of. We have also destroyed the ring and the diary and the diadem. So there should be only three more left," she concluded evenly.

"Be that as it may," Dumbledore said just as evenly, "it would do Harry good to get this memory so we can all see it."

Heidi glared at the old man as she rose. "You really enjoy the power you have over people, controlling them, don't you? I will not have you manipulating Harry again." With that statement, she put her hands in front of her body before sweeping them down and out and up pulling in power that the other two couldn't help but notice. Holding them over her head for a moment, she suddenly brought them down and the room changed.

The Headmaster's office seemed to be completely replaced by another room and there were new people there: a younger Slughorn, a teenaged version of Tom Riddle, and several over boys who were walking out of the room, leaving Slughorn and Riddle to have a private conversation. It was just like the Pensieve memory they had recently viewed - except this one was the real memory with no distortions.

There was no doubting the fact that Tom Riddle was interested in the number seven, just as it was obvious that Horcruxes were a topic that Slughorn didn't want to talk about.

As the conversation ended, the room returned to normal and Heidi stumbled backward a couple of steps until Harry grabbed her, rubbing her back as he held her.

She kissed his cheek after a long moment and turned around to see Dumbledore sitting there and looking at her very closely. Clearing her throat, she said, "As you can see, seven is the number you need and there is no reason for Harry to antagonize Slughorn over it. Let the man keep his secret shame of being used like that."

Dumbledore steepled his hands together as he sat looking at them. "You have also deprived Harry of a learning opportunity, Miss Hogwarts."

"I don't believe Harry needs to learn to trick someone into giving them information." She turned and looked at Harry. "Unless you want to, then be my guest; it's your choice."

He gave her a nervous smile. "No thank you. However, thank you for showing us the memory."

"You're welcome and mission accomplished." She looked at the Headmaster, who was looking less than pleased with her. "What's next on the agenda to learn?"

"I don't have anything else at this time," he said quietly. "I expected to have some time before we were ready to meet again."

"Then I believe we're done for tonight," she said, concluding the Headmaster's meeting and leaving with Harry.

As they walked back to the Gryffindor Tower, Harry looked at his girlfriend a little differently. He thought her plan on how to end the war was interesting, but hadn't really given it much thought about if it could really be done. However, after that display of power tonight, he thought they had a fair chance at succeeding and that gave him new hope that put a spring in his step.

"You are scary," he told her lightly. "Brilliant and awesome too, but definitely scary when you're angry."

"Thank you, Harry," she said sweetly and very pleased. "I'm glad you've figured out that girls are not to be treated lightly."

You especially, he thought but wouldn't say.

* * *

(Sat, Mar 1)

Heidi was talking to Lavender about Ron, trying to reassure the blonde that Ron was a good guy, but a little confused at times, like all boys. Suddenly realizing what was happening in Harry's dorm room, she excused herself from her friend.

Hurrying down the girl's stairs and up the stairs to the boys' room, she waved her hand as she entered and Ron collapsed, causing Harry to spin and see who had come in and stunned his friend.

"Oh," he said looking relieved. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. Can you help me get him to Professor Slughorn's room? I think he'd appreciate that over Madam Pomfrey."

"He probably would," she agreed, "but levitate him to his bed and I'll be back with a neutralizing potion. I guess I'm going to have to start having all packages sent via owl checked for magical and poisonous substances. I know she didn't make those love chocolates herself in the castle or I would have known and stopped it."

Seeing a few of the chocolates still left, she had an idea as she left. Downstairs, she saw Hermione and walked over with a smile. After a short conversation, Hermione left the tower with her before going off in another direction.

Procuring a neutralizing potion from Professor Slubhorn for love potions, Heidi returned and helped Harry convince Ron to take the potion. As it started to work, Professor McGonagall entered the dorm room with Hermione on her heals.

Heidi was amused by the expressions McGonagall went through as Harry told her the story about receiving the chocolates tainted with a love potion from Romalda Vane and Ron eating them, which caused him to become love sick - literally.

McGonagall grabbed the chocolates and cast several detection spells on them before becoming further incensed, which was remarkable considering how angry she looked before. Before she left, she checked Ron and saw that he was almost completely recovered. Turning to Heidi, she said, "Twenty points to Gryffindor for your good sense and helping another in need."

As she turned to leave, Hermione asked, "Professor? What will happen to Romalda Vane?"

"I will not take points off since that would penalize the entire house. You may assume that Miss Vane will not have much free time for the next few weeks." With that answer hanging in the air, the head of house stormed out to find the target of her ire.

— — —

That evening at dinner, Harry noticed that two people were not in attendance: Romalda Vane and Professor Dumbledore. He leaned over and whispered to his girlfriend, "Do you know where Professor Dumbledore is?"

Heidi looked at him and had to fight to hold her laughter down to a small smile. Leaning over and whispering in his ear, she told him, "That box of chocolates wasn't the only tainted thing to slip past me. This afternoon Slughorn invited Dumbledore by and they shared a bottle of mead. Dumbledore drank first and fell over poisoned and choking, fortunately, before Slughorn drank. Slughorn saved his life, but Dumbledore is in the hospital wing for the evening."

"Seriously?" Harry hissed quietly.

"Yep, again, it was brought in poisoned and not mixed here, so I didn't know beforehand. But I do know who gave it to Slughorn and I'm watching him carefully. One false step that would get students hurt and he'll be out of here so fast his head will spin. He's also trying to do something else bad, but I'm watching that too so I can make it bite him back."

"You're talking about Malfoy, aren't you?"

She blew him a kiss. "I've got it under control," she said quietly before returning to her dinner.

Harry fumed a little until he considered that making the students safe was her job and not his. He still didn't like not knowing what Malfoy was up to though.

"You don't seem too upset that Dumbledore was poisoned," he whispered to her, now aware that Hermione was watching them.

She whispered back, "He's an adult and he's the one allowing Malfoy to stay in the castle even though it would be prudent to send him away. So I see it as him taking his own medicine," she ended with a shrug.

Harry wasn't sure what he thought about that answer as he could see both good and bad in it. However, he had no doubt she cared about the students.

* * *

(Tue, May 6)

As Harry was about to walk past the girl's bathroom on the second floor, he heard something he didn't expect: a male voice. Stopping, he listened carefully and realized that it was Draco Malfoy and he was talking to Moaning Myrtle. He couldn't help but stand there and listen, gathering information on what the Slytherin was doing. Why Malfoy had to build a cabinet was clear, he was trying to save his father from Voldemort's wrath; but Harry really needed to know where the cabinet was and what it did.

Going in, he could tell he surprised Malfoy, who drew his wand instantly, causing Harry to pull his out too. Harry did his best to ignore the half inch of water he was standing in as well as the ghost on the side of the room.

"What do you want, Potter?" Malfoy snarled angrily.

"I want to know what you're doing because it sounds like you're going hurt the other students." Harry didn't really expect Malfoy to answer that question truthfully, but he hoped the boy would let some information out.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Trying to save everyone Potter? I don't think so this time. _Crucio!_"

Without thinking, Harry shouted the first curse that came to his mind, one he'd recently read in his potions book. However, it was a much longer word and Malfoy had started casting first. "_Sectum_- Aii!" he shouted as he fell.

The torture curse mercifully ended very quickly, although Harry now knew that Malfoy was nowhere near as powerful as Voldemort, having felt that curse from both of them. Malfoy made a splash as he fell in the water and didn't move. Looking up, Harry saw Heidi standing there with her wand pointing at the downed blond ponce. Then he heard a ghostly scream, reminding him who else was here.

"I command you to shut up and leave and you will speak to no one about this," Heidi shouted and Myrtle obeyed immediately, splashing into her toilet.

Heidi quickly knelt down by him. "I'm sorry it worked out this way, Harry. You can be angry with me later, but please help me send him to Azkaban by playing along with me. I want him out of this castle today." She conjured a wooden chair and helped him into it.

He wasn't completely sure what she was talking about, but he did agree with throwing Malfoy out of the school - especially after this. He'd only experienced the curse for about two seconds, but it was two seconds too long, he thought. Harry received a hint of her plan as she cast a spell at Malfoy's left arm, removing all cloth up to his elbow, making his Dark Mark plainly visible.

Myrtle's screams had attracted attention as someone ran into the door with a loud thump before opening, as if it had stuck momentarily. There stood Snape, whose look turned livid when he saw one of his students on the floor.

"I might have know it'd be you," he sneered as he started to walk over to the downed boy, only to be stopped as Heidi moved over and stood in his path. "Move girl!"

"I'm sorry, Professor Snape, but I can't let you change any evidence of the crime scene, or I believe that's what an Auror would say. If it will help, I can assure you that Malfoy is only stunned; he's not injured at all."

Snape stared at her incredulously. "I said _move_," he told her in a low and threatening voice.

Heidi waved her wand over him in an upside down U-motion, causing him to freeze in place from the neck down. "I don't know if you're just too concerned about Malfoy to bother asking why this is a crime scene or you want to destroy evidence of the crime, but I will not let you let you interfere with Malfoy getting his just penalty."

"Detention with me every weekend for the rest of the year," Snape managed to get out despite his rage.

A mini-gong sounded in the room and a male voice was heard from the ceiling. "Detention assignment rejected; the professor is ignoring the law."

"You know," Heidi said far too sweetly, "that was as fun to hear the second time as first time."

Snape looked like he might explode with anger and Harry was having trouble not laughing. On the other hand, having something else to focus on rather than left over pain was helpful.

"Don't worry," Heidi said helpfully, "the Headmaster and Aurors are on the way. I managed to get a message to them before you arrived."

"I will see you two expelled for attacking one of my students," Snape snarled at them.

"Ahh, I believe you've jumped to an invalid conclusion, Professor," Heidi informed him. "You see, Malfoy cast the first spell here. Harry is the victim; I merely stunned Malfoy to save Harry." She cocked her head for a moment. "I think I hear footsteps so I don't think we have much longer to wait."

That caused Snape to try again to get out of his magical binding, but his struggles were for naught.

Dumbledore suddenly pushed the door open so hard it banged into the wall. He stopped just behind Snape and took the scene in. Three Aurors slowly pushed their way in and two more stayed at the door.

"What's going on?" Dumbledore demanded. "The Sorting Hat said there was an emergency here at the same time the Aurors came through the Floo into my office."

"Headmaster, you must make her release me and I want her expelled for binding me like this," Snape demanded and Dumbledore looked at him with slight shock.

"I don't think we're ready for that just yet," Heidi said calmly. "Who is the lead Auror?"

"I am, Head Auror Gowan Roberts at your service," a man in his mid-fifties said with a half bow. "Who are you and why were we called? The house-elf only said there was a serious crime."

"Heidi Hogin," she gave him a brief curtsy. "This boy on the floor used an Unforgiveable Curse on Harry Potter, a Cruciatus Curse specifically."

Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment, but Snape instantly said, "She's lying. Draco would never do that."

Roberts eyes had narrowed at the name "Draco".

"It's easy to prove by testing the wand," Heidi said, "and by looking at Harry. His hands are still shaking."

Roberts walked over and pulled the wand from the downed boy's hand. "Draco, as in Draco Malfoy?"

"Correct," Heidi acknowledged.

The Head Auror did a Prior Incantato spell on the retrieved wand and the first spell out had the image of a Cruciatus Curse.

Snape's lips tightened as he held in his retort after he was proved incorrect.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Let's not be hasty here. I'm sure we can work something out."

As all heads turned to look at the Headmaster in wonder, Heidi asked the question most were wondering. "Are you, the Chief Warlock and head of the judicial body, suggesting we ignore the law?"

"I am suggesting that we not act rashly before we know all the facts," Dumbledore said smoothly.

"There is only one more fact to know," Roberts said as he walked over to Harry. "Mr Potter, hold out your hands please."

Harry did so, unable to keep the slight tremors from being seen.

"Where did the spell hit you?" the Auror asked.

"In my ch-chest," Harry answered.

Roberts also cast a spell on him, which caused a white circle to glow on his upper chest. "He was hit with a spell recently and based on his tremors, I have no doubt the Cruciatus Curse hit Mr Potter. The only question I have is how long this young man has been a Death Eater?" He pointed at the ugly tattoo on Malfoy's arm. "Dunkirk, Young, put the manacles on him and take him in.

"He's still underage," Dumbledore said as the two Aurors put the restraints on Malfoy and hauled him to his feet.

"As you well know, Dumbledore," Roberts said with a hint of disgust, "the law on the use of the Unforgivables on another person has no age limit. This will be a very short trial given the strong evidence and who the victim is."

While the two men had a staring contest, Heidi walked over to Harry. "I think we're done here. Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey." She helped him up and steadied him as he shuffled out of the bathroom.

The two remaining Aurors that were looking at the scene gave Harry a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it," the older one said. "Anyone can be surprised. Be glad it wasn't the Killing Curse."

Harry nodded. "Th-Thanks."

"He's right, you know," Heidi told him as they walked. "Anyone can be surprised. Also, when you're fighting, make sure your first spell is very short to say and fast to cast. The one you tried to use is a great finishing spell when you're opponent is beaten down and you have the time to cast it."

"I hadn't thought about it that way," he said slowly as they neared the infirmary wing.

"Then you learned an important lesson without the price being too high, as Godric would have said," she told him. "Hang on, Harry. Let Pomfrey help you feel better and then we can talk, all right?" she asked hopefully.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth as an unexpected wave of pain shot through him as his muscles clenched.

Soon, she helped him through the doors to the infirmary and to nearest bed. The school nurse must have had an alarm on the door because she bustled out before Harry was fully lying down.

"What's the problem this time?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"He was hit with the Cruciatus Curse," Heidi said for him.

"Truly? In this school?" the nurse asked aghast. As she overcame her shock, she pulled her wand and began casting diagnostic spells on the boy.

"M-Malfoy," Harry managed to say.

"Don't worry, Aurors are taking him away," Heidi reassured the woman.

"If there was ever a bad egg here, that boy was one." The nurse turned and summoned several potions from her shelf. "Here Potter, drink these. They'll relax your muscles so the tremors will work themselves out faster. The other is for the pain. This last one will help you sleep for a few hours. Depending on how you feel, I might let you out for dinner."

"If I may have the last one?" Heidi said, holding her hand. "I'll make sure he takes it in a few minutes, but I really need to talk to him before he sleeps. Please?" Heidi begged as the nurse pursed her lips and studied her for a moment.

"Five minutes and no more, Miss Hogin," Pomfrey said as she placed the Sleeping Draught in the girl's hand.

"I'll try to be as quick as I can," Heidi assured her before pulling a chair over to sit next to Harry. As the nurse walked back to her office, the girl cast a privacy dome around them, making it look like they were in a large soap bubble.

Reaching out, Heidi grabbed his left hand in both of hers. Raising it up, she gently kissed his hand and suddenly looked very contrite. "I'm really sorry, Harry. I'm so very sorry."

"Wh-why did you a-allow it?" he asked in a very scratchy voice.

"You need to understand how I think," she said, trying to answer the obvious question. "I don't think like you do. I mentioned I'm not good at research; that's because I'm not very good at original thought when I have to react quickly. However, I've seen so many things that if I'm in a situation like I've seen before, I can usually deal with it in a like manner to what I've witnessed. For all other situations, if I have an idea that something may happen, I try to plan for every possibility before it does. That means if something unexpected happens that I didn't plan for, I normally don't react very well." One hand left his and wiped at a tear that was forming. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't expect him to throw an Unforgiveable at you."

She squeezed his hand hard as if to make sure he was still there. "My other problem is that I became so focused on removing Malfoy from the school that I lost sight of everything else … I lost sight of you, of protecting you. You're so good at protecting yourself that I thought it wouldn't be a problem if I let Malfoy throw one spell at you so I could get rid of him." She stopped to wipe another tear.

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for not being there sooner. Please forgive me for … using you. I won't do it again." Her voice broke before she whispered, "I promise."

Harry looked at her for a moment before he squeezed her hand. "Since you realized your mistake and couldn't have known he'd use an unforgivable, I can forgive you. Your promise to try not to do it again helps too."

As she brought his hand to her lips again and kissed it, he told her, "I'm glad you think I can take care of myself. You were also right when you told me what mistake I'd made. I should have done better."

"I wasn't trying to criticize you," she told him hastily.

"I know. You were trying to teach me and you were right. I made a mistake too. Two, really; I should have tried to dodge but I didn't."

"You were too close to dodge, so don't be so hard on yourself."

"And you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," he argued back. "We all make mistakes."

"But I got you hurt. If he had used a Killing Curse…" she broke off, unable to complete the sentence.

"It's fine; he didn't and I'll be all right soon enough."

"You really don't hate me?" she asked in a small voice.

"No, I still like you enough that I want you to be my girlfriend," he assured her.

Heidi relaxed as she leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss. "Thank you," she told with great relief. "I think you need to take this and get some sleep. I'll watch over you."

"I don't think we need to worry about Malfoy any more," he said with confidence before he took the potion.

"Definitely not," she replied with firm conviction. "I won't let him back in this castle, no matter what anyone says."

"That's good," Harry said tiredly, the potions starting to work. He handed her his glasses and made himself comfortable.

She kissed his forehead and made herself comfortable. As he fell asleep, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Heidi knew she was lucky Harry was so forgiving.

Closing her eyes, she dropped the privacy bubble and let her awareness catch up on what had been happening in the castle for the last few minutes. Malfoy was out of the castle, but a problem was coming her way, which caused her to frown.

Madam Pomfrey came over and smiled at her when the nurse saw that Harry was in a light sleep. "Don't worry, he'll be right as rain soon. His exposure was very light."

"I know, but thank you for the assurance," Heidi said, still feeling a little guilty.

The Headmaster walked into the infirmary and straight over to Harry's bed. "Miss Hogin, if you'll come with me, I believe we need to have a conversation about this afternoon."

When she glanced at the nurse, the woman smiled back. "Don't worry, I'll watch over him."

"Thank you," she said as she rose quietly and followed the man to his office. Reviewing the conversation between the Headmaster and the Head Auror, she couldn't see anything of importance that was wrong, so she tried to remain patient until she could find out why the Headmaster seemed so displeased.

When the Headmaster was seated behind his desk, he looked at her very seriously. "This afternoon, were you acting as Heidi or as Hogwarts?"

"Heidi is Hogwarts and Hogwarts is Heidi, Headmaster," she said calmly. "What is your concern because it's obvious to me you are concerned about something?"

"Very well. How am I to help troubled teens make better choices in life when you remove them from the school and my influence?" he asked bluntly.

She blinked for a moment, surprised by his truthfulness and not beating around the bush in his usual vague style. "Headmaster, I believe you and I have very different definitions of 'trouble teens'. If a teen is being a bully, uncivil, rude, or any number of other things that teens are likely to be, I agree that as an educator you should help them make better choices.

"However, when said teen starts to cast evil spells at another, especially the Unforgiveable Curses, then said teen has crossed a line and the safety of the other students comes before the attacker's need for redemption.

"If you wish to practice social reform on society outside of this castle, I truly wish you well and I honestly hope you succeed. However, inside this castle, I am the final judge of where the line is on 'too far'. If a student or a teacher crosses that line, I will send them away and they will not reenter.

"Draco Malfoy went too far today, and whether you write up the form for his being expelled or not, as far as I'm concerned, he is expelled and will never be a student here again." Heidi looked at him, daring him to disagree.

"Mr Malfoy is not a killer and is not truly Death Eater material. He can be saved," Dumbledore argued.

"Not surprisingly," Heidi argued back, "I hold a different view because he was attempting to murder you, who was letting him stay here. I barely tolerated his presence because there was a very small doubt about him being a totally lost cause; but no longer after he used a Cruciatus Curse on Harry Potter. If you think he can be saved, then go visit Malfoy in Azkaban and save him from himself there.

"Malfoy is a killer, or how else do you explain the evening you spent in the infirmary from drinking poisonous mead?" she asked innocently. "Then there was the attack on Katie Bell earlier this year away from the castle. I'm all but certain that was done by Draco Malfoy as well and it was intended for you. It is what caused me to start keeping a close eye on him and I almost threw him out when I heard him admit to himself that he wasn't sorry for what happened to her. If that isn't the attitude of a killer, please explain to me what it is."

"So you will condemn a sixteen year-old boy to life in Azkaban for trying to protect his family?" Dumbledore asked, ignoring her points.

"A killer can come in many forms, including as a sixteen year old boy," she told him. "Or have you conveniently forgotten that a sixteen year-old Tom Riddle killed a girl in this castle fifty-three years ago?

"You know, Headmaster," Heidi said thoughtfully, "I think I've figured out your problem. You're still living in the world you grew up in. One hundred years ago, or about when you entered this school, the idea of benevolent ruling class was acceptable and even considered a good idea. However, since then the world has moved on.

"I dislike seeing people die, even yourself despite our present disagreement," she admitted, "however, I believe it's time for your idea of 'the greater good' that is decided by a 'noble ruling class' to be left behind. If that takes your death when it comes soon," she pointed to his blackened hand, "so be it. I shall mourn your passing, but not the passing of your ideas."

"That's very cold and cruel," he replied. "Does Harry know about these feelings of yours?"

"Mostly. We'll be talking more about them soon, I'm sure. We spend a lot of time talking," she told him. "He is very much aware of how highly I value the safety of the students."

"Yet Harry still was hit by the curse," he said off-handedly.

Heidi's eyes narrowed, knowing full well he said that on purpose to hurt her. "Even I can be surprised by foolish teens, Albus. However, unlike you, I've already apologized for my error today. When do you plan to apologize to him for allowing a dangerous boy to stay in the castle? I know you've been aware of Malfoy's goal to kill you for the entire year."

"Professor Snape has my full confidence and he has been closely supervising Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore maintained.

"Yet look where that got us today, hmm? And let's not forget about Snape's lying for Malfoy either. I don't believe that says much for his character," she retorted.

Heidi stood, tired of the meeting. "Delores Umbridge is a despicable person, but she did have one thing right: We should have a safe environment for learning here, although I would personally modify that slightly to be: or as safe as we can make it and still accomplish our goal of teaching. Tell me, Headmaster, is the school safer right now with Malfoy gone than it was yesterday with him here? It seems to me that's what a real Headmaster would care about."

Without waiting for an answer, she started to leave the man's office and return to Harry's side, stopping as she opened the door for one last message. "You would also do well to remind Snape that Harry was the victim today and I was protecting him. Retaliation by him against Harry or myself will not be a good idea." Taking the last couple of steps, she closed the door behind her and hurried back to the infirmary.

Harry did indeed attend dinner in the Great Hall. He was personally a bit embarrassed at being caught by Malfoy's spell, but he was inwardly pleased by all the appreciation he received for taking the spell and getting Malfoy removed from school.

Later that evening, a couple of the Slytherins told him admiringly and in private, "That was very Slytherin to allow yourself to be hit on purpose to remove an opponent." He just nodded and let them think that.

* * *

(A/N: The bathroom scene has bothered me for some time, so I decided to point out an issue I have with the books by changing it in my story. I had to go look it up in book6 (ch 24), but it says and I quote:

… _water poured everywhere and Harry slipped as Malfoy, his face contorted, cried, 'Cruci -'_

_'SECTUMSEMPRA!' bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly._

_Blood spurted from Malfoy's face and chest…_

So, we see that Harry slips and while he's falling Malfoy starts casting what I believe is a 3 syllable word that's fairly easy to say. Harry hits the floor and _then_ casts at least a 4 syllable word (I don't know Latin so I'm open to corrections). So Draco casts first and has a shorter spell. So how is it that Harry's spell hits Draco before he finishes casting. Is casting Crucio really _**that**_ time consuming? Or is Draco trying to say the spell in "whale talk" ("Finding Nemo" reference)? Also, remember that Harry has never cast this spell before now.

Fine, JKR wants Harry to hit Draco with that spell to set a few things in motion. Let Draco's spell miss because Harry was falling, Harry's spell hits, mission accomplished without the illogic.

OTOH, my reaction when I first read that scene in the book was that Harry missed a golden opportunity. He should have let the spell hit him for a second, then blasted Draco so the Slythern could be charged with usage of an Unforgivable - hence the Slytherins' private response to Harry in the story. Yes, the same possibility applies to Umbridge in book5.)

* * *

.


	4. Adventure

(A/N: Thank you for the reviews that discussed the bathroom scene and my note in the last chapter. I enjoyed reading them all.

For those that wonder how Snape's Unbreakable Vow to help Draco finish his task would react to the changes I've made, please consider the following.

He promised to (1) watch over Draco as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes, (2) to protect Draco from harm to the best of his ability, (3) if it seems Draco will fail to carry out the deed that the Dark Lord ordered Draco to do, then do it for Draco.

Numbers 1 and 2 were easy enough; number 3 is the only tricky one. Perhaps it's stretching it, but Draco didn't "seem to fail" like he did at the end of book6 where he was struggling when Snape found him and finished the task - Draco outright failed by getting himself arrested and thrown in Azkaban and never gave Snape much of an opportunity to help him. I could even argue that trying to help Draco not get arrested by lying for him would probably give him a way out of the vow. Maybe that's not in the spirit of what Narcissa wanted, but I think it could be argued that way. :)

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Adventure**

(Thu/Fri, May 15/16)

All the sixth years in Gryffindor were sitting around an overly long table, courtesy of Hermione's Enlargement Charm, studying together. It was not something they did regularly, but just often enough that it was fun when it happened … or so Harry thought.

He and Heidi were working on their Charms homework. Her doing homework was amusing to him as it didn't really help her, and she had told him once that she just copied what others had written in the past in her own style. She had also admitted to not always submitting Outstanding homework to avoid scrutiny.

As he read over a passage from his book and contemplated how to work that into his essay, he lightly ran a hand up and down the thigh of her jeans, under the table where it was generally unseen. If anyone noticed the small movements of his arm, they didn't say anything. He also suspected he wasn't the only one that was holding a hand or otherwise touching their special other under the table.

Heidi suddenly stiffened and Harry let his hand freeze on general principle. He didn't think he had overstepped his bounds as he'd been near her knee; they had started becoming a little more adventurous lately.

She turned to him and kissed the back of his jaw and whispered into his ear for him alone. "A security ward just twitched. I'll tell you about it in the morning."

Standing, she said in a normal voice, "I'll see you in the morning, Harry. I have to _go_ and I'm getting tired too." Several of the boys sniggered at her bathroom reference.

"I'll walk you to the stairs," Harry said generously, rising as she put her things into her bag.

At the foot of the stairs to the girls' rooms, Harry pulled her to him and kissed her good night, certain that most if not all of his year-mates were watching. "Be careful," he whispered.

"Of course," she assured him before whispering, "It's just an outside ward, so no one might even try to get inside."

He let his hand go down her arm to her hand, which he held for a brief second as she walked upstairs. In the privacy of her bed, she could charm the area so no one could get in and she could leave without her roommates knowing.

Turning back to the table, Harry saw most of his classmates hurriedly look back to their work, causing him to mentally chuckle.

He finished the last part of his essay and then packed up himself, since she was gone. "I think I'm done for the night too. Good night," he told the table at large.

Upstairs, he put his things away and went to the bathroom. When he came back out, the rest of his dorm mates were entering the room. "All of you are done too?" he asked, surprised.

"The girls decided we were, which is fine with me," Ron told him with a look Harry knew all too well. Ron's preference to goof off rather than do homework was well known amongst all of them, and Harry suspected his friend would spend the rest of the evening reading some Quidditch magazine.

"Harry? How do you do it?" Dean asked as he dropped his things on his bed.

"Do what?" Harry asked, totally bewildered about the subject.

"How do you and Heidi handle being a couple? I've never seen you two have a fight and you get along so well," Dean told him.

"Yeah, how do you do it?" Ron asked as he dropped on his bed and looked at Harry. Neville and Seamus looked interested too.

Harry looked at Dean. "So you and Ginny aren't doing too well?"

Dean glanced a little nervously at Ron. "We still get along well most of the time, but," he paused and sighed, "I wouldn't be surprised if we broke up soon. It's not working out and I don't really know why."

"Hmm, Ron? What about you and Lavender?"

Ron's head about twisted off as he moved his glare at Dean to Harry and showed surprise at being asked. "I, uh, well enough, I suppose," he looked down. After a big breath, he confessed, "I'm not sure how long Lavender and I will be together either. She just so … girly … at times. That's usually nice, but not all the time," he said with a shrug at the end.

"Neville? What about you and Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Us?" Neville almost squeaked in surprise. After clearing his throat, he answered with only a little embarrassment. "Hermione and I are just friends. We kinda dated for a couple of weeks and it was nice, but we both decided we should only be friends. We are better friends, though."

"Don't bother asking," Seamus spoke up. "No girlfriend for me right now, Lilth and I broke up months ago. However, I would like to know too for when I get a new girlfriend," he said with a grin.

Harry leaned against the wall and really thought about it, amused that he - the one who had no real understanding of girls and relationships in general - seemed to be doing the best with a girlfriend. It was probably all because of Heidi, he thought.

"I'm not sure what to say," he told them. "Heidi and I spend a lot of time talking, getting to know one another."

"Like in a broom closet?" Seamus asked with a chuckle.

Harry chuckled as well. "We engage in that activity too, but I really meant talking, as in getting to know what the other likes and thinks. I think part of it too is that we don't take it too seriously. I'm sixteen and she's seventeen and we don't know what will happen or where we'll be five years from now, so we take each day as it comes. I guess we don't try too hard to make every time special, we just enjoy our time together - not that we don't have special times."

Dean nodded. "I wonder if maybe I'm trying too hard. Ginny can get really irritated with me and it's usually when I'm trying to be extra nice to her."

Ron harrumphed. "Ginny can get irritated because of reasons none of us will ever understand." The rest of them laughed and Ron eventually joined in.

"It sounds like you two get along very well," Neville suggested.

"I guess," Harry shrugged. "We do have our rough moments, but they usually don't last for too long and we try to keep them private." He looked at Dean who nodded and looked away. Dean and Ginny had been seen having a row in public a few times.

"Are you going to get married some day?" Ron asked, eager to change the subject away from Ginny.

"I have no idea," Harry snorted and wondered if that was even possible. "I think we need to finish school first before that's even considered."

Harry went over to his bed and wondered if Heidi would bring this conversation up. It was rare that she ever said anything about his conversations when she wasn't there. She respected his privacy, but he had no doubt that she knew about these talks.

— — —

The next morning, Harry hurried down the stairs and found Heidi waiting for him. "What happened last night?" he asked quietly.

"You'll see as we walk to breakfast," she told him. "It's even possible Dumbledore will summon me to his office to discuss it. If so, you need to come with me."

"I do? Why?"

"Because it concerns you." She pulled him over to the side of the common room. "Harry, I know I've said this before, but I want to be sure you know this. Albus Dumbledore is generally a good man. I disagree with him on some things, vigorously disagree on a few more, but he's still worthy of respect. I've tried very hard not to drag you into my arguments with him, but you're likely to get pulled into this one. So please, whatever happens, think about it and make up your own mind. Be your own man, that's all I ask, even if you agree with him and disagree with me. I won't be upset with you as long as you know why you believe what you do."

"That, uh, this sounds very serious," he said, trying to take all of that in, most of which wasn't new to him, other than it was all said at once.

Heidi's expression slowly broke into a grim smile. "You could say that. Come on, let's go get breakfast and see what happens on the way."

When they reached the main staircase, Professor McGonagall was there and was directing them towards an alternate path away from sounds below.

Harry couldn't help it and stopped to look over the rail. Four stories down was a man lying in a twisted position with blood all around. His head did have a cloth over it so his identity wasn't visible. There were several Aurors in attendance next to the Headmaster.

"This way, Mr Potter, Miss Hogin," McGonagall said, waving them away from the railing.

"Who fell?" Harry asked.

The professor's mouth worked through several emotions for a moment before she waved the two over to speak quietly. "Mr Potter, please don't make a scene, but that's Peter Pettigrew down there. He was discovered only a short time ago when the staff awoke."

Harry felt himself tense in surprise; he also felt Heidi put her arm around his shoulder.

"It'll be all right, Harry," she said softly.

"Proceed on to breakfast and try to eat something," McGonagall told him caringly. "We'll take care of this."

Harry felt Heidi lead him away. He wasn't sure what else he was feeling though, too many emotions assaulted him. Keeping a tight rein on himself, he asked her, "You did that, didn't you?"

She pulled him by the hand to an empty classroom and closed the door. "Yes, Harry. I did it. I felt him enter the wards in his Animagus form and sneak into the school. I captured him and I forced some potions down him and asked some questions that I felt I had a right to know as the protector of this school.

"He was a Death Eater. I've heard you tell the story of him betraying your parents, which led to their death; he confessed to that. He helped to give Riddle a new body. He was tasked with trying to continue one of Malfoy's projects which would have let more Death Eaters into the castle. To me, each of those is punishable by death because they each have or will lead to someone's death.

"Finally, Harry, he was a very slippery Death Eater who could escape too easily. I'm not really proud of it, but I made the hard choice to cast a spell on him so he couldn't change into his Animagus form and pushed him over the rail to his death."

Heidi paused. "Maybe this makes me a horrible person, Harry. Maybe I'm not worthy of being with you or anyone else. I draw a very hard line at actions like his, especially when those were murders and not accidents. I chose to administer my own version of justice for his crimes.

"Dumbledore and I argued over my throwing Draco Malfoy out of the school and never letting him come back. Pettigrew was far worse. Safety for the students is a major part of me, Harry. Can you accept me like this?"

Harry studied her as he listened. There was no doubt she was very passionate about making the students safe. That wasn't new. This revelation about her level of commitment was though. Yet how did he really feel about that?

For Pettigrew, he decided that he didn't really have a problem. He felt … vindication, he decided. His parents could rest in a little more peace.

He knew what her plan was to rid them all of Voldemort. There would be death then too, hopefully only for Death Eaters. He found he wasn't all that bothered about them either.

"Is this level of response," he finally asked as she patiently waited for him, "only for Death Eaters, and I guess those like them?"

"Yes, Harry." She looked hopeful.

"As long as the punishment fits what the person has done or is trying to do, then I don't think I have a problem," he told her. "Pettigrew deserved it. I think I might have preferred him to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, but I don't have any doubt that he deserved what you gave him, for both my parents and the people he killed soon after. And Cedric," he finished quietly, feeling that one a little more keenly having witnessed it.

Harry raked his fingers through his hair as he continued to work through it all. "I guess my fear that it'll become a habit and that's not good."

"You're absolutely correct, Harry. What I did was only for the most extreme cases and I'll try to avoid it as much as I can," she promised him.

"Then I think we're fine with each other." He pulled her close and hugged her.

"Thank you, Harry. Your understanding means a lot to me," she told him with an expression of relief. "Shall we go get breakfast? The others are wondering where we are."

Harry quietly told Hermione, Ron, and Neville - those who were sitting the closest to them - that Pettigrew had snuck in to the castle last night and had fallen over the railing. Typically, it was Hermione that was the most concerned for him and he gave her quiet, "Thank you."

As they were almost finished with breakfast, the Headmaster walked up to them. "Miss Hogin, if you would come to my office please."

"Of course, Headmaster," she answered politely. "Harry and I will be there in a few minutes, just as soon as we finish breakfast."

Dumbledore looked at her for a moment. "I suppose I do need to see Harry as well." Without another word, he turned and left the Great Hall.

Hermione gaped at her new friend.

"Relax, Hermione," Heidi told her. "I gave him no disrespect. I only anticipated his request a little better than he did."

"What does he want then?" she asked quickly.

"Sorry, Hermione," Heidi said with a grin that indicated she probably wasn't. "That's up to the Headmaster."

Hermione harrumphed, causing the others around her to smile, even if it was into their cups to hide the action.

"Ready, Harry?"

Harry looked at his plate, which still had most of the small portions he had dished out. "I'm not really hungry, so we might as well go."

Heidi took a last swallow of her juice before taking Harry's arm as he helped her up.

On their way, Harry looked at her and asked quietly, "What do I need to do?"

"Be yourself and make up your own mind, Harry," she replied. "I'll get my way with the Headmaster so you don't need to do anything to help me."

Harry sighed. "I don't know what to do about him. I've respected him for so long, but the more I learn about him, the more confused I get."

"I understand," she told him. "He's a complicated person. I do think I've figured out why though." At Harry's questioning look, she said, "He's a product of his times, as they say. The normal views of society 100 years ago when he was growing up is very different from the views you're growing up with. So when you see him trying to push his views forward, he appears barmy, as someone once told you."

They both chuckled about Percy's comment in his first year as they approached the Headmaster's office, with the gargoyle that guarded the entrance jumping out of their way.

Heidi knocked on the door, but didn't wait, so she was already walking in when the Headmaster called, "Enter. Ah, Miss Hogin, Mr Potter, please take a seat."

Harry noticed that the man didn't have his easy-going look.

Dumbledore looked at Harry. "I should probably begin with the news that affects you, Harry. We found Peter Pettigrew in the castle this morning, dead."

"I know, sir. Professor McGonagall told me before breakfast," he said evenly.

"This is all rather unfortunate. I had hoped to use his life debt to you for saving him a few years ago to your favor one day," Dumbledore said.

"I'm not bothered by it at all. As I pointed out to Heidi, he's killed thirteen people that I'm aware of, including one person right next to me. Then there is the fact that he betrayed my parents," Harry explained, not really showing any emotion.

"You don't feel remorse for his passing?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward.

"No sir. He received what he was due. I'd like to think my parents, Cedric, and the twelve Muggles are all resting a little easier now. He wasn't a pleasant person." Harry watched Dumbledore lean back, his expression slowly changing to a frown.

"I see that you've been influencing him, Miss Hogin," Dumbledore said slightly accusingly.

"No sir," Harry answered instead. "That is my own thought after considering how I felt about what happened."

"Headmaster, if you plan to bring up your ideas about trying to reform the evil people in this castle, save your breath," Heidi told him. "I will not change my views when it comes to the protection of this school.

"I let Pettigrew enter the school to see what he wanted to do. I captured him so we could talk. I then let him go and pushed him over the railing when he went near it, making sure he couldn't change into his Animagus form to save himself.

"If it'll make you feel better, I've already promised Harry that the punishment will fit the person and their actions. Therefore, only people like Death Eaters have anything to really fear from me," she told him.

"I not only object to you needlessly killing him, but you've also deprived us of any information he had," Dumbledore argued back.

"Did I not say that we talked?" Heidi shot back. "I followed your example, Headmaster, and gave him Veritaserum and questioned him thoroughly. He actually didn't know all that much that you would find useful.

"The most important news was that he was sent here to finish Draco Malfoy's work to help Death Eaters get into the castle to kill you and cause chaos, including killing any students that were not children of Death Eaters families," she told them.

"Perhaps you didn't ask the right questions," Dumbledore commented, the unsaid accusation hanging in the air.

"Perhaps," she said calmly as she held out her hand and large roll of parchment materialized, before she dropped it on his desk. "But I believe I covered everything important in my three hour session," she said with a hint of superiority. "Feel free to read the transcript of our _talk_."

Dumbledore only blinked in surprise for a moment, before looking down at the transcript.

"I tried to be thorough," Heidi told him, before she gave him a calculating look. "How thorough have you been? Have you ever tried to find Peter Pettigrew in the last three years since he escaped from here?"

"That would have been a pointless effort as there was no hope of finding him," Dumbledore countered.

"I don't know, I can think of two people who would have appreciated the effort, even if you had failed to find the traitor," Heidi said cuttingly, with a glance at Harry. "Just like you never really tried to free Sirius Black. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, you had ways of forcing a trial for him. Amelia Bones, may she rest in peace, would have helped you once you convinced her of his lack of a trial years ago."

"Do you enjoy tearing me down, Miss Hogin?" Dumbledore calmly asked.

"I do when you behave like an idiot and question why I removed a Death Eater permanently, one who snuck into this castle to kill people, a school full of children that you're supposed to protect as I do," she accused him with some heat.

"How can I when I'm not attached to the wards any more?" he returned.

"Yes, yes, the wards," she said airily before her voice dropped to be low and dangerous sounding. "Which ward that existed before you knew about me would have caught him? Oh, right, none of them would have because you don't want to keep Death Eaters out, otherwise your Defense professor and spy couldn't come into the castle without raising an alarm. Fortunately for all of us, I have magic that can sense that sort of thing and I'm not afraid to use it," she told him scathingly.

Dumbledore pressed his lips together, clearly unhappy but unable to counter her argument.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm sad that I had to do that to anyone, but as Harry said, Pettigrew brought it on himself. Did you at least take my suggestion for dealing with the matter?" she asked with a stare that demanded the truth.

"If you are referring to the Sorting Hat's suggestion," the Headmaster said tightly, "that I tell the Aurors that I found him and he died accidentally while trying to escape as I pursued him, then yes. I agreed with the idea that it not be known that he might have been interrogated."

"The basic idea was mine while the Sorting Hat refined the idea," she clarified. "In the end, I'm just glad you agreed. I hope it will help us."

"On that we can agree," Dumbledore said with a hint of tiredness in his voice despite the early hour.

"Unless there's anything else, Headmaster, I believe Harry and I have class." She was perfectly polite again, although it sounded a bit forced.

"No, Miss Hogin, since I can't change your mind, I believe we are done for now. I hope you both have a good day in class." Dumbledore sounded resigned.

Harry stood and walked quietly out of the office. In the corridor, he looked at his girlfriend. "Do you two always fight like that? I swear that was worse than Ron and Hermione."

Heidi looked at him for a moment before she burst out in laughter. "Thank you, Harry; I needed that."

She grabbed his hand and they walked in quiet companionship for a moment, just any other sixth years who were dating. "Sadly, we get into an argument almost every time because I'm trying to correct some problem and he's used to getting his own way with no one to tell him he might be wrong. He's also never met anyone with the ability to force him to change - at least not since he was a little boy. I'm sure he's as frustrated with me as I am with him at times.

"However, time will fix things," she said softly.

* * *

(Wed, Jun 4)

Harry hurried up to his dorm room with Heidi on his heals. As he started to search for things in his trunk, he heard Heidi tell Neville, "If you don't mind? Five minutes ought to do." When he lifted his head, he saw his dorm mate walking hurriedly out of the room.

He stuffed his Invisibility Cloak into his pocket and stood to leave, but Heidi put her hand on the lid of his trunk to hold it open and reached in and grabbed his sword, handing it to him.

"Take this," she told him. "Tom Riddle is known for liking magical creatures." Holding out her hand, a small tube materialized. "I was going to wait until this summer to give this to you, but I completed it recently and you might need it tonight."

"What is it?" He examined the tube which was a little smaller than the size of his wrist and about six inches long, with a cap on one end and a clip on the side.

"You put it on your belt," she told him as she reached into his trunk and pulled out his broom. She pried the cap back and put the end of the broom into the end of the tube. The broom was instantly sucked in.

"My Firebolt!"

Heidi didn't say anything; she merely turned the tube upside down and shook it. The broom came back out, full-sized and completely normal, which she caught.

"Oh," he said sheepishly. "You know, that's brilliant. It's just like the sword's scabbard then."

"Same spell work," she told him with a grin. "Take your broom, Harry. You're very good at flying and that might be useful. I understand he's taking you to someplace near the sea. Flying is better than swimming."

Without waiting for him for him to respond, she grabbed his head and kissed him hard. "Be safe and come back, Harry."

"I think that's good motivation," he told her with a smile as he put his broom in the little tube and clipped it onto his belt.

"Don't forget about this either." She tapped his necklace with her finger. "It'll bring both of you back as long as he's holding you."

"I better go," he said before he kissed her quickly one more time.

"I'll wait up," she promised.

Harry hurried to meet up with the Headmaster. The man had promised to take him to search for a Horcrux tonight.

— — —

Minerva McGonagall was about to leave her quarters to patrol the castle while Albus was away for a few hours. She didn't expect any trouble, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

A knock surprised her as she wasn't expecting anyone. Opening the door, she found a woman a little younger than herself in a blue dress and a circlet on her head with a blue stone. The slightly stocky woman looked vague familiar, but Minerva couldn't place the memory immediately.

"Who are you?" Minerva asked as she whipped out her wand. "There shouldn't be any visitors this evening."

"You may call me Rowena," the woman said as she walked into the room, brushing Minerva's arm slightly as she entered and before she took a seat in the professor's small living room.

Minerva now knew where she had seen this woman. She looked just like the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in the Ravenclaw common room. If the Marauders or the Weasley Twins were still in attendance, she would have sworn this was a prank; but as it was, she couldn't think who was capable of doing this. Yet her mind refused to believe what was in front of her.

"Please have a seat, Minerva. I am not the real Rowena, but I'm her essence and arguably her daughter. I'm also the reason her real daughter, Helena, became so upset she ran away." With a wave of her hand, a tea set appeared and she poured.

Minerva observed that the woman made the tea exactly how she liked it. Curious, she walked over and sat, but didn't put her wand away nor did she drink the tea.

"I know you'll have a hard time believing this, Albus did, but I am the physical manifestation of Hogwarts. When the Founders created the castle, Rowena knew that I would become sentient given enough time and magic. It took a little longer than anticipated due to an error by a Headmaster in the past, but my final sentient state has now been achieved.

"I'll be happy to prove it to you as well. Just ask, as long as it's appropriate," Rowena said with a mischievous smile.

McGonagall looked at her for a moment. "I'm not sure what you could do to prove that."

"Hmm, something special then. Very well." Rowena set her cup of tea down and stood. "This always takes a little out of me, but it's for a good reason. Taking a deep breath, she put her hands in front of her before sliding them down, out, and up in a wide circle; with a fast downward stroke, the room changed.

Minerva froze as a scene from the Great Hall in 1921 took over her room. She sat at the side and watched her shy dark-haired eleven year-old self be sorted into Gryffindor. It was exactly as she remembered it, including some details she had forgotten until now.

When the recreation ended, Rowena stumbled backward a step and sat heavily into her chair. She took a few deep breaths before she reached for her tea and took a long drink.

"But that's impossible unless you were there…"

"I was there. I won't do it this moment, but I could show you Albus's sorting." She looked at the professor seriously. "Do you believe me now?"

"I'm…" Minerva paused to find words that were difficult to voice. "I suppose I don't have a choice. But how?"

Rowena shrugged. "It's because of the way the real Rowena created the castle. She was responsible for much of the magic instilled into it. She was a very talented Enchanter."

"What do you want?" McGonagall asked, almost afraid of what she was about to be told.

"It's very simple. I want to know if you want to be Headmaster next year, or Headmistress if you prefer that term," Rowena said bluntly.

"But Albus…"

"Will not be here, or if he is, he won't be by next Yule and I'd prefer not to have to switch Headmasters in the middle of the year," Rowena said matter-of-factly. "Have you not asked about his hand?" she queried with curiosity.

"He said he had been cursed, but it was contained." Minerva wondered if there was more now.

"It is contained enough not to kill him instantly, but the curse can not be stopped. I predict it will overtake him before the end of the summer, and probably before the end of July." Rowena shrugged. "He put his hand someplace he shouldn't have and this is the result."

Minerva thought that was a bit cold, but perhaps "castles" didn't have feeling like she did. "I suppose you're asking me because I'm the Deputy? Also, what about the Board of Governors?"

"Not really. I'm asking you because you're a good administrator. As for the Board of Governors, I'm willing to consider their suggestion, but I have the final say. I've been thinking that I want to keep my existence quiet for as long as possible, but I'm starting to see that may not be possible."

"I see."

"To be Headmistress," Heidi continued, "I have two conditions. One, you will hold no other jobs outside of the school. Part of the reason Albus has not done so well is because he is not focused on the school."

Minerva bristled at slight insult to her mentor.

"Professor, before you become upset with me for that statement, please try to objectively answer the question if the school as a whole is better now than it was at the beginning of this year? I fully took on my role on the 14th of October, so all major changes since then have been at my request, almost all of which I had to force the Headmaster to do for the good of the school."

She blinked at that. That woman/castle had forced Albus Dumbledore to do things? Several ideas jumped into her mind as she took stock of the school. "Binns being replaced was because of you?"

"Yes. Albus left Binns here because he preferred the status quo in society, whereas a good professor, like Professor Li, has started challenging the students to think about what is happening in our society and in a few instances wanting to change it in ways that Albus wouldn't agree with," Rowena explained.

"I haven't seen Peeves either."

"I banished Peeves back to his plane of origin to prove to Albus that I was capable of banishing Binns too. He wasn't motivated to find a new teacher until then," Heidi said with a grin.

"And Peter Pettigrew?"

"I caught him sneaking into the school intent on bringing in more Death Eaters. As a known murderer that the Ministry would have had a hard time containing, I simply helped him over the rail as he ran away from me. I will not lie to you, the safety of the students and the security of the school is my first priority," Heidi said seriously and without shame. "I am reasonably certain Albus was intent on letting Draco Malfoy stay here after he cast a Cruciatus Curse on Harry Potter. I will not allow a person like that to stay here."

McGonagall harrumphed. "I was put out with Albus when I heard that he tried to stop the Aurors. You said you had another condition?"

"I believe it would be best if you would continue to teach the NEWT Transfiguration classes. Albus couldn't because he has been too busy, but I believe teaching a few classes would be good so that you keep in touch with the students.

"While not a condition to be Headmistress, I would strongly suggest you hire two more teachers to take some of the classes of first and second years for the Head of Houses so they have more time for their house duties," Rowena told her.

"Will you also force me to do things for you too?" Minerva asked, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.

"As long as you do what's good for the school, no. I believe the hardest of the changes have been made. I will tell you that Argus Filch will not be here next year, and I expect Severus Snape will hand in his resignation during the summer as he has never been that fond of teaching. There is no need for you to replace the Caretaker if you don't want to," Rowena told her. "The choice is yours though."

"I see."

"I will strongly suggest you either teach Hagrid to make age-appropriate lessons, or make the lessons for him to follow. He has a good knowledge of magical creatures despite his lack of formal education, but his judgment is … circumspect."

Minerva had to control herself not to snort at the obvious. Hagrid was a kind soul, but not the sharpest knife in the drawer. "Is there anything else?"

"No, I think that about covers it. Oh," Rowena said suddenly, "there is a special situation coming up. I will be allowing Harry Potter and Heidi Hogin to remain in the castle over the summer. It will be far safer for them to be here where I can protect them. They can each have their own guest room."

"Oh?" McGonagall raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Albus has always insisted that Mr Potter return to his relatives."

"That was in the past," Rowena brushed the idea away. "Albus may prefer that Harry return there, but even Albus will admit that it was not the best place for him. Since he is turning seventeen this summer anyway, I have decided to allow him to stay. Miss Hogin, if you're wondering, doesn't really have any family to stay with and she is already seventeen."

"I see." Minerva was not happy to hear about this, both Harry's situation and that students were staying in the castle.

"Don't worry, they will not require any staff time. I don't think this would normally be a good idea, but they are both either of age or about to be so, in addition to their special needs." Heidi stood. "So, will you accept the position?"

"I am very interested, but I would like to think about it."

"Of course," Rowena said graciously. "I'll return after the students leave on the Hogwarts Express. Thank you for making my evening a little more enjoyable with the conversation." With a slight nod, she left.

Minerva gasped as she watched the woman fade without a pop. A quick spell showed she was the only one in the room. Her full cup of cold tea and an empty cup on the table was the only evidence of the meeting.

Suddenly realizing she had not started her patrol nearly as early as she had desired, she left quickly. However, she thought about the unusual conversation as she walked around the castle.

— — —

Heidi had been correct. The Headmaster had taken him to the sea. While the Headmaster waded in the water, Harry had lazily flown and not become wet. He did get a little frustrated with the man when Harry realized how much he hadn't been taught. He was reasonably sure neither he nor Hermione would have been able to find the entrance to the cave and open it.

When Dumbledore found the boat, Harry again preferred to use his broom and flew to the island in the middle of the underground lake in the cave. He looked at the basin on a pedestal, careful not to touch anything, while he waited.

"What did you find, Harry?" Dumbledore asked when he arrived in the tiny boat.

"I think what you want is in the bottom of this basin. Not sure what the liquid is, but I suspect it's not pleasant, considering who we're dealing with," Harry said with a frown.

Dumbledore chuckled, "I would have to agree. If I may?" He pulled out his wand when Harry backed away. After casting several spells, he ended with a conjuration spell that created a goblet. "It seems we have to drink it."

"Wait a minute, Professor…"

"Harry, you promised to obey me on this adventure," Dumbledore reminded him sternly.

"I did, but to use your own words, Professor, let's not be hasty before we have all the facts." Harry stepped closer. "Are you sure we can't fish that thing out?"

"Quite, but you're welcome to try," Dumbledore said patiently.

Harry conjured a metal wire like a clothes hanger, bent the end into a hook, and tried to get to the object in the basin. However, the surface of the liquid was hard as steel even if it looked like slightly colored glass.

"As you can see, only drinking it will empty the basin."

"What about just pouring it out?" Harry asked.

Humoring him, Dumbledore dipped he goblet in, which broke through the surface, unlike Harry's wire. He then poured the liquid out, only for it to be diverted just before it hit the ground, flowing up and going back into the basin.

"That is brilliant magic," Harry muttered as he walked around the basin to look for any other clues about what to do.

"Tom is very well read and accomplished. You should always remember that. Now, you must make sure I drink all of this so we can get what I believe to be the locket," Dumbledore told him.

"Professor? Do you know the spell or runes to make an object very hard, like Bludger bats?" Harry asked, not willing to give up yet.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

Harry concentrated and conjured a sledgehammer, like the one he used once to break some rocks for Uncle Vernon. Harry set the end of the long handle on the ground and tilted the large metal head towards the Headmaster. "If you would please?"

With a chuckle, Dumbledore applied the spell to the head of the hammer. "I don't believe that will help as I'm sure Tom has made all of this indestructible."

"But what happens when an unstoppable force," Harry hefted the hammer, "meets an unmovable object?" He swung the hammer with all of his might at the thinnest point of the pedestal. Despite the loud noise the hit made, only a small piece of the hardened stone came off.

"Interesting," Dumbledore said, "I'm surprised that you caused any damage at all."

"If you know of any spells to soften it, I would appreciate it," Harry told him as he swung the hammer again, knocking off another small chip.

"What is your goal? That will not reveal the object," Dumbledore pointed out.

"No, perhaps not," Harry grunted with another swing, "but it will allow us to take it back to the school and deal with it in a better place." Swing. "One not surrounded by Inferi." Swing.

"That is a valid point. We will also have medical help nearby if required. Rest for a moment, Harry," Dumbledore told him.

Harry took one more swing before stepping back to wipe his sweaty brow on his sleeve. He also wanted Heidi's knowledge for this, but he suspected he was better off not mentioning her at this time.

After a moment, Dumbledore finished casting. "Try again, Harry. I was only able to weaken it, but perhaps that will be enough with your harder than normal hammer."

Harry swung again and a much larger chip came off. Moving around a little after each swing, Harry continued to chip away at it. By the time he had made a full circle, a crack had appeared in the stone. Once last swing caused the basin to topple over and fall. "Finally," he said, almost breathless from his exertion.

"But we have a new problem now," Dumbledore said, whipping his wand around, creating a circle of fire around them.

"Crap," Harry said, looking through the flames and noticing the Inferi starting to come out of the water. Swinging the hammer one more time, he let go of it and watched it hit an Inferi in the chest, knocking it down but not really stopping it. "We have to leave. Headmaster, grab my arm."

"We can not Apparate out; I can feel the wards preventing that," Dumbledore informed him as he blasted another Inferi.

"My plan was to use a Portkey," Harry told him as positioned himself to pick up the top of the basin.

"I doubt a Portkey will work here," Dumbledore said before dispatching another Inferi.

"I'd like to test that too," Harry said, groaning as he picked up the basin. "Now Headmaster!" As soon as he felt the old man's hand on his shoulder, he grunted, "Heidi, help me now!"

To Harry's relief, he felt the jerk of the Portkey. A moment later, he was in the Room of Requirement which was in their normal parlor setting. Careful not to hit his toes, he dropped the basin, disappointed when it didn't crack and didn't spill any of the liquid.

He looked at the Headmaster. "I don't mean this as an insult, Headmaster, but I'm glad you were wrong."

Dumbledore chuckled. "No offense taken, my boy; I'm glad I was wrong too."

Heidi suddenly appeared in her dark leather outfit, the one that Harry was starting to think of as her "fighting outfit", and one he honestly liked seeing her in.

"What happened?" she snapped, not unkindly, just quickly.

"Inferi," Harry said. "Thanks for the Portkey."

She relaxed as she walked over to Harry and gave him a once over look and a smile. "I'm glad I gave it to you then. So, what is this?" She looked at the basin where it was before levitating it to look at it normally.

"Professor Dumbledore says someone has to drink the liquid in it before we can get the locket out, but I don't think that's a good idea," Harry told her.

"I agree with you that it won't do the drinker any good, but it is the only way to get it out," the Headmaster insisted.

Heidi waved her hands over the basin for a moment.

Harry decided to ask a question that had been bothering him for a long time. "You don't really need a wand, do you? In fact, is your wand really a wand or just a stick?"

She chuckled and blew a kiss at him. "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that. It's a real wand, Myrtle's in fact."

"As in Moaning Myrtle?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes." She looked at the Headmaster. "I'm not sure exactly, but the potion seems to be in the class of potions that will produce strong hallucinations, like a Nightmare Potion but probably worse. I can also detect hints of poisons in it, probably slow acting poisons that will do a lot of damage internally. You definitely don't want to drink that."

"Then how do you suggest we retrieve the Horcrux?" Dumbledore asked, amusement in his voice for the situation he was putting her in, namely having to solve the problem.

"Maybe we could make Snape drink it?" Harry asked with a smirk at Heidi.

"I don't think _Professor_ Snape would appreciate your humor," Dumbledore rebuked him mildly.

"How did you bring it here?" Heidi asked. "It looks broken at the bottom."

Harry explained what he had done with his hammer.

"Well, if it worked once," she said as the basin was levitated away from them and then a shimmering wall went up between them and the basin. "Shall we have tea while we wait?" As she started walking over to the sitting area, a large golem appeared with a hammer several times as large as Harry's was.

Slowly, so he could watch what was happening, Harry joined her on the settee. Dumbledore just stood transfixed where he was, his expression and body frozen for a moment at the sight in front of him.

"That could be useful in a fight," Harry said as he watched the golem pick up the large hammer and hit the basin, causing the whole room to shake slightly.

Shaking his head, Dumbledore walked over and joined them, although he turned his chair so he could watch the work too.

"Not really," Heidi answered. "Golems are very strong, but it's not hard to destroy them and they are very slow, slower even than trolls. Golems are the magical world's answer to Muggle siege engines."

The room shook slightly again. "Right, I can see your point about them being slow, but I can see applications for them."

"Of course," she told him. "They definitely have their uses. Hogwarts couldn't have been built without them. Golems were invaluable for moving the big stone blocks for the foundation into place."

Harry looked at her thoughtfully for a moment as the third hit rang. "You'd be a really good History teacher." He suddenly looked away to watch the golem, blushing a little. "You'd be the prettiest one ever too, I bet." He saw Dumbledore chuckle at that, despite his sight never leaving the work across the room,

"I think you'd be correct on the prettiest teacher of History, considering that post has always been held by men until Professor Li started this term," she told him with a teasing look.

At the fourth hit, the golem stood straight and slowly backed away. The barrier also fell, causing all three to hurry over.

"We seem to have broken the stone basin and the enchantment," she said as Dumbledore picked up the locket. "Hmm, that's the wrong locket." She was not pleased.

Dumbledore opened it and sighed. "I was hoping the memory I obtained was incorrect. It is as you say, the wrong locket. But we do have a clue. There is a note that says:

_To the Dark Lord_

I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.

I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more.

R.A.B." (quoted from HP-HBP)

"It not a real Horcrux," said Harry with defeat. "All of that for nothing."

Dumbledore looked oddly pleased, however. "No, it's not the real thing, but it's the next best thing: a clue."

Harry perked back up. "Right, so we have to figure out who R.A.B. was, is."

"I suspect _was_ to be the correct word," Dumbledore said absently as he was deep in thought.

"Regulas Arcturus Black", Dumbledore and Heidi said at the same time, before looking at each other and both smiling.

"As in Sirius's younger brother?" Harry asked, a memory just beyond his grasp teased him.

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore confirmed. "Regulus was a Death Eater. Apparently, he had a change of heart and he found out about the Horcrux. He was killed not long before your parents." He sighed. "Now we have to find where Regulus may have hidden it, or if he destroyed it. It is unfortunate that Sirius is unavailable to help as he probably knew his brother the best."

"Sirius…" Harry said wistfully until the memory came to him suddenly. "Kreacher! Come!" Harry shouted.

The mad elf popped in. "What does filthy Half-blood master want?"

Heidi raised her hand, but Harry grabbed her wrist. "No." He held out his hand to the Headmaster, who understood and gave him the locket, without the note. "Kreacher," Harry knelt down on one knee, "have you ever seen this locket before?"

Kreacher's eye went wide. "Master Regulus's," he said reverently.

"Good. There was a locket similar to this that we found in the dining room last summer. It was like this but it had a snake on it. Do you know where it is?" Harry asked, hoping he was right, hoping he had handled a Horcrux and not known it.

"Kreacher knows. Kreacher took it when filthy thieves were trying to clean the house," he spat.

Harry ignored the insults because this was great news. "Then I order you to go get it and bring it back here as quickly as you can. When you do, I'll give you this locket."

Slowly, Kreacher reached for the locket, but Harry closed his hand and pulled it back. "Bring the other one first."

Kreacher popped out.

"Well done, Harry; very well done," Dumbledore told him.

"That elf is insane. I thought he was a bit off when he was in the kitchens, but his behavior is totally wrong for his species," Heidi said aghast. "I wonder if he ever drank the potion in the basin?"

"I had assumed it was living alone in the Black house for five years that unsettled him, but perhaps there is more to his unfortunate condition," Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

Kreacher returned with a pop and a heavy gold locket in his hand, which he held out to Harry. Harry took it and placed the other locket in Kreacher's hand. "Keep and treasure it, but do not let any wizard or witch see it," Harry commanded. The elf nodded and left with a pop.

"If I may?" Heidi said, holding out her hand. When Harry gave it to her, she nodded. "Yes, this was Salazar's and it belongs to the castle. However, it must be cleansed."

She stepped away from the others and cupped the locket in both hands. Light started to leak out of her hands and the magic could be felt in the room. Suddenly, there was a high-pitched scream and a green light shooting away from her hands as she finished reversing the spell that had created the Horcrux.

Smiling, she opened her hands for them to see the locket before she hissed at it and it opened up. "If you wish to look at it now before I put it away for safekeeping."

Dumbledore examined and smiled, very pleased looking. "Splendid, there are only two left plus Tom himself." He looked at Harry. "I'm sorry, but those three parts will be yours.

"As we've discussed, one should be Hufflepuff's Cup. Alas, I don't know where to look for it. The last one should be Nagini, for she behaves more like a human than like a snake at times. She will also be very well guarded, probably by Tom himself," Dumbledore told him.

"You won't be helping with those, will you?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer, but hoping he was wrong.

"We shall see, but you must be prepared to do it on your own in case something happens to me," the Headmaster told him.

Harry glanced at Heidi. "I'll be with you, I promise," she said fervently.

"Then we'll find a way," he said confidently.

"That's the spirit, Harry. Now, I should walk you two back to your house." Dumbledore led the way back.

Harry took Heidi's hand as her outfit changed back to the normal school robes. "That's unfortunate, I like that outfit," he told her with a grin.

"You do? I'll have to remember that," she told him with a coy smile.

* * *

.


	5. Summer

**Chapter 5 - Summer**

(Fri, Jun 27)

Ron looked at him. "Mate, I know I wouldn't want to go live with your Muggle relatives either, but at least come with me to The Burrow. You know my parents would love to have you and it'll be better than here. You'll be bored in five minutes."

Harry chuckled. "Thanks, Ron, but I don't want to put your family in danger. Feel free to tell anyone who asks where I am that I'm not staying with you but somewhere else you're unsure of."

"You'll be at the wedding?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Harry assured him.

"I really don't think you'll be all that safe here with only a few teachers in this huge empty castle," Hermione told him a little condescendingly as she gave him a hug. "All it takes is one person noticing you staying here and not getting on the train."

"Not everyone goes on the train, I've found out. Some have permission to use the Floo to travel home," he told her.

"Really?"

"Yes, it's just that most prefer the train to have fun with friends. I know I've always enjoyed it," he explained.

"Later, Harry," Neville told him cheerfully as he left the common room. All but Ron, Hermione, and Heidi were gone now.

"I'll be fine, you'll see," he assured them. "Enjoy your trip and your summer. I'll see you at the wedding and then for school next year."

"Err, Harry," Ron said a little shiftily, glancing at Heidi quickly. "Don't we have some _things_ to take care of this summer, and maybe next year?" Hermione looked eager to hear the answer to this question too.

"Probably not. I told you that Dumbledore took care of another one. I have a feeling the rest will be dealt with over the summer. If they're not, we'll make plans, I promise." When Harry saw Heidi just smiling in amusement, he decided to add, "Besides, Heidi knows too and she'll help where she can."

"But…" Hermione started to object.

"Relax, Dumbledore knows she knows. Now, you better hurry or you'll miss the train," Harry told them. They told him good-bye before hurrying away.

Harry heard Ron say with glee, "Just think, no Malfoy to bother us on the train this time or any other time!"

"Ron, give it a rest; you've told us that at least a hundred times," Hermione complained, but only half-heartedly, as they disappeared out the portrait hole to catch up with everyone else.

"They're good friends," Heidi said as she threaded her fingers through his and slowly walked him through the portrait hole. "Shall we go see our rooms?"

"Ah, Mr Potter, Miss Hogin," called a voice from the landing below them. "I was just coming to find you as I didn't see you with the other students."

"Lead on, Professor," Heidi said cheerfully as they approached their head of house.

McGonagall looked at the two carefully. "I will remind you that you are still at school and I expect you to still be on your best behavior."

"Of course, Professor," Heidi told her. Harry assured her too.

"You never know when a professor will be around," she told them, obviously trying to prevent problems.

"Which professors will be here this summer?" Harry asked, wondering just who lived here and who didn't.

"All of us will be here for at least a few more days," she told him. "After that, the numbers dwindle until it's just us who stay here year-around."

Harry understood that was to keep them on their toes, but with Heidi, they'd never be surprised. There was also the Marauders Map too.

"There are no passwords or other restrictions on these rooms," she said with a stern look. "While there is no official curfew, you should keep the normal one. If you are out after that, expect serious questioning. Obviously, we can't take points, but there are work assignments we can give you if you have so much idle time on your hands you get into mischief."

"We'll be on our best behavior," Harry promised. "Are meals at the usual times?"

"They all tend to be about an hour later." She looked at each of them as they stopped in a corridor Harry couldn't ever remembering being in before. "I was told this was a good idea, even over the Headmaster's objections. Please show me I made a good choice in agreeing to allow you this privilege."

"Professor, may we visit the library?" Heidi asked, not that she really needed to, but she felt she should get McGonagall used to the idea that they would be walking around the castle. "I think this would be a good opportunity to help Harry learn a few things he's missed out on."

McGonagall looked thoughtful for a moment. "I believe that will be fine as long as you return everything before mid-August and you wait until after next Wednesday. Madam Pince is normally gone during that timeframe and that will be easier on everyone.

"One of you can take this room, and the other this one across the corridor. Lunch will be in about two hours. I'd suggest you bring your things from Gryffindor Tower and get settle in during that time. I'll see you at lunch." With a final look as if to trying to make them behave, she turned and left.

Heidi looked at Harry and grinned, looking like she was struggling to contain her laughter.

Harry just grinned back. "So, I guess we should check out the rooms and pick."

She grabbed his hand and walked to the door nearest him. "I think you should take this one."

"Oh, why?" he asked as they walked in. It was a small suite. There was a small living room, bedroom, and a bathroom. Then he saw why she suggested this one for him. There was a large window overlooking the lake and Quidditch Pitch. "What about the other one?"

"It's just like this but looks at the mountains. If you'd rather have that, you may. I really don't care." She lowered her voice. "I can see it all anytime I want anyway."

"I guess this one for me then," he said, looking around and trying to visualize moving in. There wasn't much furniture, so it would be spartan, but he was used to that.

His thoughts were interrupted as an elf popped in with his trunk, courtesy of Heidi's orders he assumed. They had fun unpacking and setting up his room together before going to her room and doing the same. They finished with enough time before lunch for some serious kissing and a few roaming hands.

This lunch was the strangest one he'd ever had at the school. First, the four long tables were missing, as was the table for the staff. Instead, there was a single large round table. Second, the looks they received were a little intimidating for Harry; Heidi seemed to have no trouble with it. Snape was the worst with his glare, although he said nothing. Not everyone on the staff was there, which Harry thought was a good thing. Dumbledore was one of the ones missing.

They spent the afternoon outside, flying around the castle and over it, generally enjoying the early summer weather. Heidi also started telling him little things about the Wizarding World, things he'd missed by not growing up in a Wizarding family.

Dinner was slightly better than lunch. Dumbledore was present, but he generally ignored them. In fact, they were generally ignored by everyone, quietly listening to the conversation of the professors.

The evening was spent playing games and goofing off in Harry's room. Heidi spent most of the time teaching Harry how to play Cribbage.

Just before eleven, Heidi jumped up and kissed Harry quickly. "See you soon," she told him and ran out his door and over to her room, closing the door behind her.

Not sure what to make of that, Harry decided to clean up before turning in. As he was finishing, he heard footsteps outside of his room. Looking through his open doorway, he saw Professor McGonagall walk by and stop for a moment.

"Mr Potter, I assume you're alone?"

"Yes, Professor. Heidi is in her room."

She nodded. "Can we have a private conversation for a few minutes?"

"Of course, Professor. Have a seat." He invited her to one of the chairs.

McGonagall put a transparent privacy charm over the door and took the proffered seat. She seemed to dither for a moment before asking, "Mr Potter, do you truly believe staying here at the castle for the summer is really needed?"

"I'm sure it's safer, Professor," Harry said, his voice completely flat. "I also am fully fed here and don't have to worry about what my uncle might do to me. I don't have to worry about my cousin any more after the Dementors last summer."

"I was afraid of that. Honestly, I've been hesitant to ask that question. Not very Gryffindor of me," she said, a bit embarrassed. "I told Professor Dumbledore that it wasn't a very good place for you; but he insisted and I didn't argue any more. I'm sorry, Mr Potter; you have my most sincere apologies for allowing you to grow up in that place."

"Thank you, Professor. It doesn't change the past, but I appreciate it anyway," he said just as sincerely.

"I should also say that I will be Headmistress next year." She paused for a moment. "That doesn't surprise you?"

"No, Professor. Professor Dumbledore's hand doesn't look good and I've noticed that it's spreading slowly up his arm, even though he tries to hide it," Harry explained.

"I see. You have the right of it," she told him. "It is a very horrible curse. Since I will be taking over, that also means that I will pick the Head Boy and Girl. Be on your best behavior this summer, Mr Potter; you're one the candidates."

"Thank you for the honor, Professor."

She stood and looked at him again with a penetrating look. "If either of you wish to leave the castle, please notify me and I'll arrange an escort for you and Miss Hogin. You should plan on visiting Gringotts after you turn seventeen. I strongly suspect you'll find a family vault will be available to you.

"You can usually find me by knocking on my office door. It's charmed so that I'll hear it in my quarters. Good night."

"Good night, Professor. Thank you for the advice." He walked over and locked his door after her. Being Head Boy would be interesting he thought, but he supposed how good that would be might depend on who the Head Girl was.

Thinking about the conversation, he was completely surprised when he walked into his bedroom and found Heidi lying on top of his bed in an almost shear and very short dress - lingerie he assumed, although his brain wasn't able to think too well at the moment as he looked her over, appreciating what he had only imagined before.

"I thought she'd never leave," Heidi said in a slow and sexy voice. "Brush your teeth and come to bed Harry. I've been anticipating this and I hope you have too."

Harry had never brushed his teeth so quickly in his life. As he slipped into bed in just his boxers, they "played" much more than ever before.

* * *

(Sat, Jun 28)

When Harry awoke after his first night of the summer holiday, he found that Heidi was still asleep. He looked at her bare shoulders and back. Last night had been very educational. He'd found out that sex was as great as everyone said it was.

Looking at the clock, he decided that they had time for sex before breakfast and started to slowly wake her up. She was as thrilled with the idea as he was.

After their intimate time, they each took a shower in their own room, since they had to hurry to get to breakfast before anyone wondered why both of them were late. Harry finished dressing a little faster and walked into her room as she was finishing getting ready. It was disappointing to him that she was already dressed, but he thought with a grin that there were still many nights of the summer left.

A couple of things nagged at him though. "Heidi?"

"Hmm?" she sounded as she brushed her long dark brown hair.

"I know we still have an entire year before we finish school and we won't do anything permanent before then, but are we getting too serious too quickly? I mean last night and this morning was brilliant and I could do that every night with you," he said in a bit of rush to avoid being more embarrassed, "but what does it all mean for us? Are we just having fun or something more?"

Heidi stopped her brushing and looked at him in the mirror before a big smile broke out on her face. "You are such a girl sometimes."

"Huh?" That totally surprised him.

"I'm glad you're thinking about the question, but it's usually the girl who brings that up first," she replied as she finished with her hair and reached for her jewelry box to pick something for the day. "Why can't it be both, fun and extending our relationship?" she asked.

"I suppose it could be." He stopped, almost afraid to ask his next question, but felt he must. He leaned back and looked towards her open door to the corridor. Seeing no one there, he leaned towards her and whispered, "Is it even possible for you to have children?"

Heidi clasped her necklace on and gave him an appraising look. "That is probably the most interesting question you've ever asked me." She grabbed her soft leather boots and pulled them on. "Don't worry, no one is out there," she told him.

Standing, she took his hand and they started walking towards breakfast. "Are you serious enough about us that _that_ question matters?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, "but I have figured out that if you can't, that means that this is all for fun. I really like you Heidi, a lot, but I also need to continue the Potter line too." He snorted and shook his head. "Listen to me, I sound like a Pureblood bigot."

"No Harry," she gently admonished him, "that's very natural when you know you're the last of your family."

"Err, thanks," he said, feeling a little better.

"There are two ways to handle this, but I'd suggest we wait until this evening to discuss them. We need total privacy for that conversation," she told him, her look telling him he could _not_ convince her otherwise.

"Very well," he said with resignation, "but you've just made this the longest day ever."

She laughed at him and he joined her after a few seconds. "How about we make it a little longer and start our summer homework so we can put that behind us. I have some other magical things I'd like to teach you this summer." She whispered conspiratorially, "They would be very useful to help me leave the castle with you."

"Really?"

"Yes, but I have only the vaguest of ideas and I will need your help figuring out how to make it work," she told him.

"Perhaps we should get Hermione to help us," he joked.

"That's not a bad idea, but let's wait to see if we really want to do that," she replied.

— — —

After dinner, they went to Harry's room and locked the door.

"I'll have to Apparate back to my room if someone knocks on my door, or else I can hide in your bathroom if I must," she told him. "So, how serious are we?" she asked his question back to him. "Children, or lack of them, are a deal breaker?"

Harry looked down. "I sorry, I feel like I'm being really unfair to you."

"I told you I understand and I do," she assured him. "I mentioned there are two ways to handle this.

"First, there is a test I can take. If I pass that, then it's almost certain I'm human enough to have children with you. If I pass, we can try for children when we're both ready, and if I don't get pregnant after a couple of years, we'll have to assume I can't have children after all and try the second idea - if you're willing. I suppose a third option is to adopt."

"All right, a test doesn't sound too bad. What is it?"

Heidi reached for the little bag she had brought over with her and placed it in front of her on a table. Digging in it, she pulled out a phial of dark sludgy potion and set it down, followed by a half dozen other phials, each with several hairs of various colors.

"Polyjuice?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, I _borrowed_ it from Snape's personal stores. I've been thinking about this for a while and collected the hairs from several girls. If my body will react and change properly, then I should be able to have children. As it is now, I believe I'm like a Metamorphmagus. I can change forms if I want to. It's also why I don't need to take a birth control potion; I just close that part of me off inside so I can't get pregnant."

"Err, that's all very interesting," he said, wishing this conversation wasn't quite so personal, but he supposed that couldn't be avoided and did his best to suppress any embarrassment and press on, "but are you sure?"

"One hundred percent sure? No," she admitted. "However, the theory is sound."

"What's the second option? I'm not sure it's right to do that test. I feel like we'd be taking advantage of one of the girls."

She grinned at him. "You've never had any fantasies about kissing a few of the other girls? I wouldn't let you do more, but kissing can't hurt, can it?"

"I don't know, but I don't think I want to find out in case it would hurt. Besides, how could I ever face the girl again knowing that?" he argued.

"Wise beyond your years you are Mr Potter," she said with a smile. "The easy answer is that I can take the potion and just sit here and we can talk for an hour. As for the second option, we find a surrogate mother. We create a magically binding contract that she has the child but gives up all rights to said child, or children if you want more. Of course, we would raise them."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, it's not done every day, but it's more common than you think. If that didn't happen, several of the Pureblood families wouldn't have heirs." She grinned mischievously, "Some of them aren't nearly as pure as they'd like you to believe. The usual solution is to have the woman live on the continent and be someone who's never been to Britain and will never come here."

"Logically, I can understand that. Emotionally, I'm not sure I could do that," he said.

"Very well. What about adopting?"

Harry considered that. "Perhaps. I wouldn't mind doing it, but I think I'd prefer my heir to be mine. Adopting might be a good option for the second or third child. I don't really expect any of my close friends to create an orphan for me to take care of, like Sirius stepped in for my parents. Or at least I hope that never happens to them."

"That's understandable," she told him. "Let's try the Polyjuice then. Is there any person you'd prefer I use, or shall I pick?"

He looked at her and she didn't appear to care, but was this a test, he wondered? Shrugging, he said, "You pick."

"All right," she ran her hand over the bottles as if trying to feel something from them. "I think this one as she's slightly smaller than I am, so I don't have to change clothes." Grabbing a phial with a mixture of light hairs, she added one to the Polyjuice base. She let that sit for a moment and pulled off her boots just in case. Picking the phial up, she downed it in one gulp. "Yuck, that is as vile tasting as everyone says."

Harry watched the skin of her hands, arms, and face start to ripple. Her hair also became longer and lighter. A moment later there was a perfect replica of Ginny Weasley in front of him.

"Well, that did work," _Ginny_ said.

He blinked at her, not quite sure what to think. Part of him understood that the potion worked, but the rest was staring at one of his friends who shouldn't be here.

_Ginny_ walked up to him. "Are you sure you don't want a little kiss, Harry?"

Harry stumbled back a step before he recovered, both physically and mentally. "What if I liked it more than the kisses from Heidi?" he asked.

_Ginny_ gave him such an authentic look of exasperation, he would have been sure it was really _her_ if he hadn't known it was Heidi. Then _she_ broke out into a laugh that was also pure _Ginny_. "That's one way to make me stop asking."

"You can mimic anyone's voice, can't you?" he asked in wonder, both good and bad.

"Yes I can," _she_ said very pleased before sitting down. "I think we have our answer. It appears my body is human enough that I probably can have children. So," _Ginny_ gave him a piercing look, "do you have an opinion about if we're just having fun or if we're serious about each other or both?"

"I don't really know," he answered, "but I guess both for the moment."

"That's fine, I can live with that. We'll take it as it comes and enjoy life in the mean time."

"Right," he agreed.

"For the moment, I have to borrow your bathroom because I have to go." _Ginny_ gave him a sly look. "And I just want to know what it's like to have red hair down there. I mean I know what it looks like, but to really know…"

"Stop!" Harry told her as he put his hands over his ears, "Just stop."

_Ginny_ laughed all the way to the bathroom, enjoying teasing him. Taking pity on him, she stayed in there until the Polyjuice wore off. Then as an apology for all the teasing, Heidi came out wearing nothing and took him to bed.

* * *

(Fri, Jul 4)

A week after school was out and, more importantly, most of the teachers who didn't live in the school were away, Heidi gave Harry a book to read.

She flipped it open to a story and handed it to him. "Read this, it's important."

Harry took the book and looked at the cover. "A book of fairy tales for Wizarding children? Cool!"

When he finished the story and before he could start on the next, Heidi took the book from him, making him a little annoyed. He wanted to see what else he had missed out on as a child.

"You may finish it later when we come back, but we need to discuss that story then go run an errand," she told him.

"All right," he told her, seeing clearly that she was going to get her way on this and it was easier not to fight as it wasn't _that_ important. "What about the story?"

"It's a little distorted, but it's true. Those three items, the Death Hallows, really do exist," she said.

"The Deathly Hallows? Really?"

"Really. I call them the Death Hallows, but whatever," she waved the difference away. "You already have two of them and we need to go get you the third. The wand would be useful to you in your upcoming fight. Also, we may not have access to it much longer, so we really can't wait any more."

"But why now … Dumbledore?" he asked.

She smiled. "Very good guess. It's really very simple…"

After she explained the plan, Harry agreed with a slight change and they soon left his room.

The gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's office stepped aside for them as usual and the Headmaster called "Enter" after Heidi knocked.

"Ah, Harry, Miss Hogwarts, what can I do for you today?" Dumbledore asked politely. He looked very tired and his usual good nature was not to be found.

Harry noticed the Headmaster pulled the arm with his injured hand back, but not before Harry could see that the blackness was all the way past the elbow. "I was wondering if we might have a few minutes of your time to discuss the war … specifically any advice or special spells you know that I might need to know as well. For example, I'm sure I couldn't have entered that cave without you."

"Sherbet Lemon?" he asked, indicating the dish as he pulled one out and popped it into his mouth. The two students declined. "That is a very tricky question, Harry. There are many things you probably should know, but there is no time to teach you as you would need years. There is no magical, pardon the pun, solution. I'm aware of no special trick. All I can say is trust in your instincts and when the time comes, I fully believe you will find a solution and prevail."

"Do you still believe the power he knows not is love?" Harry asked evenly, not entirely happy with the idea that he would know what to do 'when the time comes'.

"I do."

Heidi snorted and looked away.

"You don't believe, Miss Hogwarts? What would say the answer is then?" Dumbledore waited patiently.

"I'm not trying to be too prideful, but **I** am the answer," she said sincerely and without boasting. "First, I am very powerful. Second, there are only three people that know about me and all have promised secrecy; and Tom Riddle isn't one of those three so he knows not."

"However, would you not say that your being available to help Harry is because of his love?" Dumbledore countered.

She looked at Harry. "Only Harry can answer that, but I have promised to help him in any way that I can, regardless of whether he loves me or not."

Harry considered the question while the other two looked at him. Finally, he shrugged. "I may have a form of love for Heidi now, but I didn't when I removed her limitation. I had a gut instinct that it was the right thing to do, so I did it."

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "I wished I could be around for the next few years to see how this all turns out. Perhaps I'm wrong as prophecies are very difficult to interpret.

"Professor Flitwick was telling me the other day that he gave you a few pointers during your sword lessons with Miss Hogwarts. It's possible _that_ is the power Riddle knows not. To the best of my knowledge, he's never used a sword. I'm afraid you'll have to work the answer out for yourself."

Harry looked at him for a moment before nodding at the man's hand. "The curse is almost finished, isn't it?"

"Let us just say that I believe it will take me a couple of more days to finishing cleaning my office and I don't believe that will be a problem," the Headmaster said with a chuckle, sounding more like his normal self. "When this adventure is over, I'll go on to the next one. Live your life without regrets, Harry. It's much easier on the conscience that way. Is there anything else?"

He had been sitting on the front of his chair so his hands would be hidden below the top of the desk. Harry didn't want to do this, but understood the necessity. "Yes, sir, just one more quick thing. Heidi suggested that I use every resource available, so-"

He was already casting the Summoning spell in his mind, so he just jabbed his wand as it cleared the top of the desk and pulled back. The Headmaster's wand jumped out of a pocket in the man's robes and flew to Harry's hand. As he caught it, he felt a surge of magic and warmth spread through him, causing him to take a deep breath and hold it until the surge was complete.

Dumbledore sighed and leaned back. "I can see by your expression that it has bonded to you. Be careful, Harry, it will paint a larger target on you now. I would suggest you break it after you defeat Tom, but I don't believe it will let you - or maybe it's that you won't let yourself. I never quite figured that out."

"That was incredible," Harry said, panting slight from the feeling.

"You felt more than a tingle?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward in interest.

"Yes."

"Miss Hogwarts," Dumbledore looked at her seriously. "I have been unable to find the ring I retrieved from the Gaunt House. Can you tell me where it is?"

"Harry has it; it belonged to his family. I assume someone in the Gaunt family stole it because I'm unaware of any marriages that would have connected those two families," she stated firmly.

"Ah, perhaps having all three parts is significant after all. I had assumed it wouldn't matter," Dumbledore said more to himself than to anyone. "No matter," he said to them, back in the conversation. "Guard and use them well, Harry. Perhaps they will help you. I suppose I don't need to give that book of children's tales to Miss Granger now, but maybe I still will for her enjoyment.

"Unless there's anything else?" Dumbledore asked, raising one bushy white eyebrow.

"No sir. I'm sorry for taking your wand, but we didn't think there was much time left," Harry said as he stood.

"I understand, Harry. You have solved a problem for me and I think you for that. I just hope the problem does not become too large for you. Tom would do almost anything to take possession of that wand," Dumbledore cautioned him.

"I will be careful, sir. Perhaps I can do one thing for you to help." Harry pulled a stick of wood out of a pocket, one that was about the size of a wand. Using his newly acquired wand, he did a transfiguration spell on the stick until it looked just like the one he had taken, down to the scratches, wear marks, symbols on it, and color variations.

"Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore said as he accepted it. "Perhaps the ruse will help."

"You're welcome. I'll see you at dinner." Harry left the office with Heidi following. He was sad that he'd had to take the man's wand, but he considered that it wasn't originally Dumbledore's and that made Harry feel a little less guilty.

* * *

(Sat, Jul 12)

Harry leaned against the castle wall under his Invisibility Cloak with Heidi pulled tightly against him, his hand lightly caressing her stomach. The amplification spell from near the lake was working well enough they could hear from this far away.

He found that he was a little sad, but not overly so. He supposed that knowing ahead of time that Dumbledore was about to die and being able to prepare for it mentally had helped a lot. If it had been sudden then this memorial service would have been much more difficult.

For the moment though, he had to push that set of thoughts away. "Do you see him?"

"On the far left side near the front," Heidi said quietly, even though there was no one near them. "Your friends have good seats near the front in the middle section."

"Yeah, I saw them come in. It's too bad I can't talk to them today, but they said they understood when they wrote back. I'll see them at the wedding in a couple of weeks."

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was sort of looking forward to the wedding. He wanted to know what one was like. Heidi had been showing him a lot of things about living in the Wizarding world every day and it was fascinating. He was sorry he hadn't taken the time earlier to learn.

As the memorial service ended, they watched Snape approach McGonagall. After they talked for a moment, Snape started walking towards the castle, with McGonagall following after talking to a few other people.

"That was easy," Harry said. "She didn't even have to seek him out."

"Yeah, but that means that he wanted to talk with her. Why?" Heidi asked.

"Don't know, but it works for us," he replied. "I'll let you Apparate us inside."

Inside the castle, Harry removed the special cloak and they walked towards the Headmaster's office, expecting the two professors to go there.

"Don't worry, you won't be alone," she told him. "I'll only be invisible. However, if I do have to show up, it'll be in my other form as that's the one that McGonagall knows."

"Right." He was not looking forward this conversation but it had to be done. If he was lucky, this might even be the last time he had to talk to Snape; however, there would probably be one more time after this.

Inside the office, Harry turned a chair towards the door and made himself comfortable. He didn't worry about the portraits of the former Headmasters; they left him alone per Heidi's orders.

A few minutes later, Heidi kissed him on the cheek and said, "They're almost here. Be brave and cunning," she told him before fading out. It was a bit creepy how she could do that.

Soon, the door opened and McGonagall led Snape into the office and closed the door. They both stopped after a few steps when they saw Harry.

"Mr Potter, dare I ask how you found your way in here?" she asked as she walked to her new place behind the big desk, which was now very clean.

"I had a little help," he said cheekily with a grin, "but I can assure you I won't make a habit of this."

"That's good to hear," she said pithily.

"If I may have the moment of time you promised me?" he asked. "I'll make it quick and then leave."

"As you wish, however, I may not be Headmistress for long as Professor Snape has been commanded to take over as Headmaster by You-Know-Who and the Board of Governors has agreed, although I doubt they ever had a choice," she told him with a frown.

"Really?" Harry looked at Snape, who was glaring at him. "That's splendid, splendid indeed."

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Snape said with a hint of disdain. "I was led to believe you were to only spend the first few days of the summer here."

"Yes sir," Harry answered, "a bit of cunning misdirection which leads me to delivering the first of my two messages to you.

"First, I've been told that you want to end this war as soon as you can. Therefore, I have a request for you to find a way to bring the Dark Lord," he said purposefully, "to the castle before the fifteenth of August. You can tell him you can't get into this office; you can tell him that I'm hiding here in the castle for the summer; I really don't care what you tell him so long as you get him to come here with as many of his followers as you can."

Snape just stared at him for a moment before he said, "Are you out of your tiny little mind, Potter? Do you know what he would do to you if he came here personally, and with all of his followers?"

"I know what he would try to do." Harry grinned with a little more confidence than he personally felt as he would be depending on Heidi - a lot. "Tell him I'm hiding here and it is a big castle with lots of little places to hide that will take a long time to search if it's only him. Maybe that will do it. I leave it up to you to figure out what would work best."

After a long moment, Snape said, "There's no way you're actually ready to beat him, so you must have a trap planned. I assume the Order of the Phoenix and Aurors will be hidden in the castle? I also assume you don't care if the school is destroyed?"

"I have no desire for any innocents to be harmed, so no, there will be no Order members here - other than any who live here normally," Harry nodded to Professor McGonagall, "and no Aurors. I would think it obvious that all those people would be missed if they where hiding here and lying in wait for would could be several weeks until the Dark Lord comes here at some unknown date.

"The request to do this before mid-August is for the same reason. The other professors start to return then, or so I'm told. There's no need to endanger them, or for the Dark Lord to think there would be more people here to fight him. I want him to think it will be easy, with the only hard part being where to find me in this large place, especially since I move around and avoid him unless the entire castle is being search at the same time," Harry explained.

"You care nothing for the professors who do live here full-time?" Snape said in a low voice but with some heat.

"They will be protected, except for those that want to fight and can take care of themselves." Harry looked at the Headmistress. "I'm told that's really only you and Professor Flitwick. The choice will be up to you."

Snape looked at her.

"No, I had no idea what he wanted, just that he needed to talk to you." She looked at Harry. "You're risking a lot. Are you sure?"

"I've been told that nothing is completely guaranteed, Professor, but I'm as sure of this as I am of anything. I want to end this and then get on with a normal life.

"Professor Snape," Harry continued, "that leads me to the second message. This one is not from me. I was told to tell you that when you bring the Dark Lord here, you will be judged on your actions. If you act like a true professor of this school and defend it, turning on the other Death Eaters, then all of your transgressions will be forgiven and you may retire in peace as you desire."

Snape bristled, but before he could say anything, Harry hurried on. "She also said that if you do not defend this castle, and the one you promised to defend - whoever that is and she wouldn't tell me who - then you will be treated like any other Death Eater. The choice is yours."

"Who is this 'she'?" Snape ground out in anger.

"I'm not allowed to say, other than it's the same person who will help me vanquish," Harry said purposefully, "the Dark Lord."

McGonagall gasped slightly and Snape turned to look at her.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall, _her_, who you've sworn to keep secret," Harry reminded her.

"I know this is not an easy decision, Severus," McGonagall said quietly. "However, I can envision her giving you that offer and I would bet she can and will do it - either way. She is very serious about protecting this school."

Snape looked like he wanted do something people would regret, but he held it in. Expressions good for no one would flash quickly across his face for a moment. Hands also clenched and unclenched several times, and his arms seemed to tremble, probably in rage.

Knowing nothing could happen to him, but why tempt making a bad relationship worse, Harry stood quietly and bowed from the waist just enough to be respectful. "I've delivered my messages so I shall return to my hiding." While he wanted to Apparate way just for the entertainment value, he kept his expression as bland as possible as he walked quietly out of office and back to his room.

Heidi was waiting for him and gave him a long hug. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It was a bloody nightmare. Your meditation exercises came in very handy for controlling myself. Even with them I felt like I was going to make a mistake at every turn," he admitted.

"Well, I think you did just fine, Harry." She pushed him into a chair and handed him a bottle of Butterbeer.

"Thanks," he told her before taking a long drink. "What's he saying? Has he agreed to it?"

"He hasn't finished yelling yet," she told him with a smirk. "However, based on what he's saying, I think he'll eventually agree."

"If he doesn't, I suppose I can always send an invite to Riddle with an owl to come here for a party," he joked lamely.

* * *

(Sat, Jul 27)

Harry Apparated to the paddock area near The Burrow. Technically, he shouldn't have done that as there were four more days before he was completely legal to get his license to do that, but he really didn't worry too much. From what little news he and Heidi had been able to gather from the _Daily Prophet_, and what she'd overheard in conversations between McGonagall and Flitwick, the Ministry was having a hard time with the war. There were too many followers of Voldemort, both marked and unmarked, in the Ministry making it difficult to fight the war as really needed.

Dressed in good robes that he had bought a few days ago while wearing a glamour charm, he walked to the house. Ron and Charlie were setting up some chairs in the back garden and Hermione came out of the house carrying a punch bowl with something pinkish in it. She set it on the table and arranged the bowl and the glasses.

Hermione was the first to see him. "Harry!" She called and ran over to him, engulfing him in a hug. "It's so good to see you. Are you well?"

"So far so good," he told her as the other two came over. "Charlie," Harry said as they shook hands. "Ron." They did the very quick manly hug.

"Maybe we can talk later, Harry?" Charlie suggested. "I'd like to hear your side of facing the Horntail a couple of years ago, but I gotta get some things done before Mum has a hippogriff."

"Sure." Harry looked at his friends. "Are you two doing fine?"

"Mostly," Ron answered first, surprising Harry. "Mum's hasn't let us do much of anything with the fear of the war. Then with Dumbledore's death and no one really taking over the Order; well, I think I'd like some of your boredom at school to get away from my mum. By the way, where's Heidi?"

"Oh, she's not coming," Harry replied. "She had something to do, and well, she wasn't invited."

Ron snorted. "Mum wouldn't care if you brought someone. We probably wouldn't notice with all the Frenchies running around. They're rude too."

"Ron," Hermione said with gritted teeth. "I've told you to be polite. You never know when one of them might be around and hear you. Besides, they aren't that bad."

"Ha, easy for you to say. You can talk with them," Ron retorted.

"Anyway," Harry said raising his voice to stop the pending argument, "Heidi says hello and that she misses everyone and can't wait for the next term to start so everyone comes back."

"So, how far have you gone with her? Have you-"

"Ron!" Hermione hissed loudly.

Harry chuckled at the two, which caused them both to stop and look at him. "Ron, a gentleman never tells." Hermione nodded in agreement. "I'll only say that we're still doing very well together and she's been teaching me a lot of things I didn't know about the Wizarding world."

"Like what?" Hermione asked.

"Ron!" Molly Weasley called through the window.

"Sorry, gotta go, unless you want to come and help?" Ron hinted strongly.

"In a few minutes, I need to ask Hermione something about girls," Harry said.

"Good luck with that, mate," Ron said sarcastically as he walked away, leaving the other two to look at each other and shake their heads.

"Hey, Hermione? I, uh, I need a little help with Heidi," he said quietly, a little embarrassed.

"Oh? What?" Hermione prompted him with a slight smile as if knowing this would be good.

"I, uh, I can't get her to tell me when her birthday is. I'm almost sure she's planning something for me, but I can't do the same for her if I don't know. How do I get her to tell me?"

"Asking her didn't work?" Hermione was surprised.

"No. She just says that I don't need to know," he told her.

"I've never known anyone to hide what day their birthday is on. The year, maybe, but never the day. It's not like she wouldn't know the day." Hermione considered the problem. "I can ask her for you, but it'll have to wait until school starts again."

Her comment gave him an idea to consider later. "That may be the best I can do." He looked at her and decided to go for his other question too. "Hermione, do you like Ron, as in wished he was your boyfriend?"

The girl froze for a moment. "Why do you ask?" she queried slowly and a little nervously.

"I've wondered for a while if maybe your arguing with each other was how you spent time getting to know one another or something," Harry threw out, wondering if his guess was even close.

She relaxed and gave him a pitying look. "We argue because he doesn't think about what he should say before he says it and it's usually wrong."

"Right," Harry said, relieved there was a better reason than his guess. "That's good because I don't think he'd be a good match for you. If he was, you two wouldn't argue so much. And I'm rambling, so I'll shut up now." Harry closed his mouth in an exaggerated manner, causing Hermione to laugh.

They went in and helped with the last few things to be done before all the guests started to arrive.

Harry saw Bill coming down the stairs all dressed up and thought the groom looked smart in his dress robes. "Bill! Do you have a minute?"

"Harry, glad you could come. I know Fleur will want to talk to you later," he told the boy with a hearty handshake.

"It'll be good to talk to her again. Say, can I ask you a question or two about all this?" Harry hoped someone could explain because Heidi didn't know.

"I don't have time for a long conversation, but I'll answer what I can," Bill told him. "What's up?"

"Well, in the Muggle world, and my girlfriend says it's the same in the Wizarding world, weddings are usually hosted by the bride's family. So, uh," Harry rushed the last part, "why is the wedding here and not in France?"

Bill's grin turned into a laugh and he slapped Harry on the shoulder. "You've been dying to ask that all summer, haven't you?"

Sheepishly, Harry nodded.

"My mother is the reason, Harry. She insisted it be here and insisted so strongly she's actually offended the Delacours, probably more than they'll admit, although they try to hide it. In France," Bill told him, "Fleur says the custom is for me to go to her house the morning of the wedding and walk her to the nearby wedding location, which people turn out for like a parade. It's a big thing, apparently. By not doing that, well, they're not happy and that's why they are a little stand-offish about all of this."

"You couldn't talk her out of it by explaining how the Delacours see it?" Harry asked.

"No, and believe me that I and my father tried, but she wouldn't hear of it. I even tried to point out that she's making herself look bad socially here in Britain, but she refused to acknowledge that too." Bill shook his head. "Eventually, I just gave up and did my best to appease the Delacours every other way I could."

"I see," Harry shook his head as well. "I don't know that it'll happen, but if my girlfriend and I get married, we won't have that problem."

"Why's that?" Bill looked curious.

"Because neither of our parents are alive. It's sad that they won't be here to see it," Harry explained, "but we wouldn't have this problem you have either."

Bill slapped him on the shoulder again and smiled. "You have a point, Harry." He checked his watch. "To appease my mother and her arrangement with the Delacours, I'm supposed to go hide in the shed while they arrive. Will you stay here and let the Delacours know I'm in hiding as requested?"

"Of course." Harry was happy to help him out.

Soon, a older man arrived who didn't look lost and Harry greeted him. "Mr Delacour, I presume?"

"Yes," he said with a strong accent, but still understandable.

"I was told to tell you that Bill is over in the shed and will be there until someone tells him he can come out."

"Ah, very good. I shall return in a moment." The man left with a crack.

He returned a moment later with everyone else that had come from France. Harry guessed nearly thirty people arrived via Portkeys. Fleur could not be missed, even if she was in the middle of the crowd.

"Harry!" she cried out and pushed her way forward, giving him a hug and touching her cheeks to his.

"Fleur, it's so good to see you again. I'm not sure how, but you look lovelier than ever," he told her with only a little bit of embarrassment.

"And you are growing up and becoming bold," she told him with a laugh. She suddenly looked to her right as her arm was pulled and laughed again. "And someone else wants to greet you. Do you remember my sister, whom you saved from the lake?"

As Fleur stepped aside, a very pretty girl who could have passed for any third and possibly a fourth year stepped forward and threw her arms around him for a hug. "Harry!" she squealed.

He was shocked at how much she'd grown. "Gabrielle? Is it really you?"

"Yes." She let him go and twirled around showing off her sparkly gold dress. "Do you like?"

"It's almost as beautiful as you," he told her graciously.

"Mama? Can I talk him home?" the girl asked the very beautiful woman behind her with a cute look.

"Please forgive her, Mr Potter, but you have been something of a hero to her and we spoil her too much. My husband and I wish to thank you for saving her that day," Mrs Delacour said while her husband nodded sincerely. "We were not told what would happen nor that there would be danger involved for her."

"It was my pleasure," Harry told her with a bow.

"You have definitely grown up yourself, Harry," Fleur told him with a chuckle. "You are so much more confident and charming now."

He easily recognized the implied question and told her, "That would be from all the hard work of my girlfriend."

"Is she as pretty as me?" Gabrielle asked, looking a little upset at hearing that news but still quite cute.

"No, she's not," Harry assured her, "but if she breaks up with me, I'll see if you're free in a few years. How's that?"

"I guess it will have to do. Can I meet her?"

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle, but she couldn't come today. If you want to come to Hogwarts at Christmas, I'll let you meet her there," he told her.

Gabrielle didn't look like she was sure what to think about that, but Fleur laughed. "Come, we must go in so William can come out of the shed."

He couldn't help but notice some of the interested looks he was receiving from what must be Fleur's cousins and friends. He had to remind himself that he had a girlfriend.

— — —

Harry enjoyed the wedding and the party very much. He danced with all the girls he knew, and some of the French girls he didn't. Dancing with Ginny was very difficult as he kept thinking of Heidi taking Polyjuice. Ginny made fun of him acting all shy, which loosened him up as he eventually laughed with her.

Towards the end, Harry was sitting on the side with just Ron and Hermione.

"So mate, anything special happening during the rest of the summer?" Ron asked conspiratorially.

"Not sure," Harry said quietly. "I sent a message not long ago to try to help that out, but I haven't heard anything back."

"Are you really going to return to school?" Hermione asked. "If the war starts in earnest, they'll know where you are and come get you."

"Probably you too," Harry pointed out. Looking at Ron, he said, "You might not be in as much danger, but I suspect they'd come after you because you're my friend."

"Probably," Ron agreed. "So what are we going to do?"

"Ask me on the first of September. I should have an answer by then," Harry said, revealing nothing. He trusted them, but people could be forced to talk.

Thinking about going to the punch bowl again, Harry looked up sharply as he felt a wave a magic then heard a number of cracks. Recognizing the protective wards had been brought down and who was here, Harry realized why Voldemort hadn't come to the school: he had been busy with other plans. "Everyone leave now!" he shouted as he pulled out the Death Wand, as he thought of it, and started firing spells at the Death Eaters.

There was screaming and chaos, but the guests started Apparating or Portkeying away quickly until there was only a small group trying to hold the Death Eaters off while the others left. Harry looked around and realized all the children were gone and it was only adults and his friends. "Everyone Apparate away on three."

He fired one more Blasting curse before counting out loud. On three, he said, "Heidi help me now." The Portkey pulled him away and he was back in the safety of the school in the Room of Requirement.

Heidi appeared a moment later, dressed in her leather outfit. "What's wrong, Harry?"

"I know why Riddle hasn't been here yet. He attacked the wedding." He then explained the fight.

"Perhaps he'll be here soon since he lost you today," she said thoughtfully.

"Perhaps, but that can wait," he said as he looked at her hungrily, always enjoying her looking like this. "If you can get us a bed, I think that would be great. I'd like to find out just what's under that outfit and ravish it."

"This outfit on moi?" she said coyly as a bed appeared near them. She also glided slowly toward her boyfriend as if prowling.

"Yes, that outfit," he said as he walked over and kissed her hard before grabbing the zipper at the top of her chest and pulling it down slowly.

* * *

(A/N: One chapter left and we're done. For those that are wondering, my inspiration for Heidi's leather outfit comes from the movie Underworld.)


	6. Power

(A/N: Here's the conclusion to the story.)

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Power**

(Thu, Jul 31)

His birthday party for when he turned fifteen had been wonderful because it was his first and Sirius was there, but this one for turning seventeen was wonderful in its own way.

There were only six of them: Heidi, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and for a short time Trelawney. The Divination teacher had wished him a Happy Birthday and left for her tower with a piece of cake. The other professors stayed and told Harry stories about his parents, for which he was grateful.

It was half nine as Heidi was walking him back to their rooms. They stopped at a westward facing window to see the sun setting over a low point in the mountains. It wouldn't get really dark for another couple of hours.

"Are you going to tell me when you're birthday is now?" he asked as they looked at the sunset. "If you don't have one, just make one up."

She held onto him for a moment before stretching her neck a little and gently kissing him on the lips. "That's been the problem and I guess I didn't want to admit it. So what date do I pick?" She grinned at him suddenly, then her expression fell just as suddenly.

"What?" he asked.

"I had considered picking July 31st, then we could celebrate together; but that wouldn't be fair to steal your day." She sighed. "This is so hard, maybe you should pick for me."

"Do you remember when you became sentient?" he asked.

"It wasn't sudden," she answered. "It happened over most of 1979 and a little into 1980. I had thought of that, but there's no point in time like a birth."

"How about the 14th of October?" he threw out.

"Why … Oh." She brightened. "Yes, that was significant and a single day. Wow, I have a birthday now." She kissed him and told him. "Thanks!"

Feeling rather pleased with himself, Harry led her to his room. Like most evenings, Harry pulled her to his sofa and onto his lap where they could talk and make out lightly as they felt like.

Heidi suddenly stiffened only a few minutes after they had arrived.

"What?" he asked, a little alarmed that he had done something wrong.

"We have visitors at the front gates and they have more than pitchforks. Start taking your clothes off, I've got an outfit for you." Heidi faded out.

Harry had no idea why he should undress, but if nothing else, he knew he'd need a few things. Running to his bedroom, he pulled out the Death Wand, Cloak, and put the ring on so he'd have all three Hallows as it seemed like they worked better as a set. He also grabbed his sword. He didn't bother with the Marauders Map; he had Heidi.

She faded back in and handed him his own leather outfit - with boots - in a deep green. "I was going to give these to you later tonight. Happy birthday!" she told him with a grin as she started removing all of her clothes. Instead of the bluish purple suit, she had a royal blue leather suit and it was a several sizes larger than normal.

He froze with half of his clothes off when she morphed to her Rowena form, which he had only seen once before; she was totally nude.

"Keep moving, Harry," she told him as she put her suit on hurriedly. "He's coming."

Not feeling like it was right to look at her in that form, he turned and continued dressing.

"What's wrong? Don't like older women? Or am I that ugly like this?" she asked teasingly.

"The first, really. In that form you're older than my mother would be if she was alive and that doesn't feel right."

"No boxers, Harry. These are meant to be worn with nothing under them. Don't worry, there's charms on the inside to prevent chaffing. There's also charms on the outside to prevent minor curses from getting to you."

Four pops sounded as he finished closing up his pants. Looking over his shoulder, he saw four house elves paying close attention to her.

"You, make sure Trelawney stays in her tower. You, go see Sprout and tell her that if she's going to fight, to stay with the others, but I'd prefer her to stay in her room where she'll be safe. You go see McGonagall and you go see Flitwick. Tell them the castle is being invaded and they can choose to stay safe in their rooms or fight, but if they go fight they need to stay together. Go." Heidi told them and they all left.

Harry buttoned his top and started to grab his sword when Heidi stopped him by grabbing it. She pulled the sword out of the scabbard and dropped it on the bed. A new sword materialized in her hand and she put that in the scabbard and handed it to him. It was a sword he had used once before.

"You probably won't need it, but just in case. Remember to be conscious of the edge, Harry, it's magically sharp," she warned. "Also, you can block spells with the flat of the blade as long as your hand isn't at that spot. I remember Godric doing that effectively as he fought with the sword in his left and his wand in his right."

"That's why you've had me practicing with the sword in my left hand, isn't it?" he asked confidently as they walked out of the room.

"It is," she told him, pleased he had figured it out. "In case you're wondering, this is how Rowena Ravenclaw looked in the first memory I have of her, after the foundation of the school was laid and she had created the spark that would eventually become me."

"Are you going to let Flitwick and Sprout meet you too?" he wondered.

"Maybe Flitwick. Sprout has decided to stay in her room so I'm covering the door with stone like the walls around it so she can't be found. Let's stop near the main staircase," she told him. "Riddle is almost at the front door and we need to wait to see where everyone goes."

— — —

Lord Voldemort was feeling good about the evening. He thought it poetic that he kill Harry Potter on the boy's seventeenth birthday.

He was sure he had all the options covered. The Floo was cut off; he had followers coming in the tunnel from Hogsmeade; a group flew to the Astronomy Tower to enter that way; there were even a few flying on their broom around the castle in case Potter tried to fly away. He also had all of his followers here to find the troublesome boy. Snape would be well rewarded if Potter was found tonight.

As he led his group to the front doors, with Bella on his right and Snape on his left, he was surprised to see the front doors ajar just enough for someone to slip through at this time of evening. He looked at Snape. "Why are the doors open at this time?"

"I'm not certain, my Lord, but there are several valid reasons. The oaf Hagrid might have just returned from his visit to the giants. Someone may have stepped out for a few moments for some fresh air. It's even possible Potter has a visitor or two for his birthday, like Granger and Weasley. I can check for you," Snape volunteered.

"No. Rookwood? Look in entry hall and tell me what you see," Voldemort commanded the man on the other side of Bella.

"Of course, my Lord." While everyone waited at the bottom of the steps, Rookwood stepped into the crack and looked in. He walked back after a long moment. "My Lord, no one is in there and the lights are on low as they would be during the night. Even my Revealing spell detected no one hiding in there."

"Very well. Group leaders, take your group in and search your assigned area. Bella and Rookwood with me." Voldemort hung back and let everyone else enter, his group going last.

Snape had given him the password to the Headmaster's office and he wanted to look there, as well as see about the status of the wards. When he was done here, he also planned to retrieve Ravenclaw's diadem and take it with him to some place he fully controlled.

— — —

After Voldemort had entered the castle and was far enough away from the front door that he couldn't see it, the door slowly and quietly closed before sealing itself.

Next, three pairs of armor walked as silently as ghosts to nearby windows. At an order that only they could hear, they all fired their crossbows at the flyers around the castle, two per flyer. All six bolts hit and the riders fell out of the sky with no Death Eater inside being any wiser.

The hollow knights all reloaded their crossbows and returned to their assigned positions in case they had other visitors to take care of later.

— — —

When Flitwick had heard what the house elf had told him, a smile spread over him. "Please go tell Professor McGonagall that I shall meet her in the corridor in two minutes."

He hurried into his bedroom and pulled out his old dueling robes from his closet. As he changed clothes as quickly as possible, he grinned with anticipation. He hadn't had to fight like this since he'd left the dueling circuit and he was looking forward to it. He'd missed that excitement over the years.

These robes weren't ordinary either. He had augmented them after he had retired from his first profession. He had dragon hide over his back and a few runes branded into the leather that would have made it illegal to wear on the circuit but could be useful tonight.

Grabbing his extra wand, which he tucked into a special summon-proof pocket just for the backup weapon, he all but ran out of his room. As expected, Minerva was there waiting, looking the same as always.

"Pomona won't be joining us. Reaching back to the old days?" she asked with a hint of amusement as she eyed the three patches on his robes proclaiming him three time European Dueling Champion.

"Yes and it feels good to wear it again." He gave her a calculating look. "What do you believe the odds are that we'll meet up with some of our former students who looked down upon us so much?"

"Are you that anxious to show them that you're a charming fellow?" she asked with a straight face.

"Nice one," he complimented her. "I'm probably about as anxious for that as you are to give them a lesson they'll never forget."

"What should we do if we meet You-Know-Who?" she asked, becoming more serious.

"I don't know who you mean," he quipped, smiling at her exasperated look. "Didn't you tell me that Mr Potter was arranging a confrontation?"

"I did, as you well know."

"Then we shall have to trust that Mr Potter has a plan and that we won't have to deal with the Head Villain but only his followers," he told her.

They rounded a corner and stopped in their tracks as they saw a suit of armor stop them by holding out his hand in the universal sign for stop, before moving said hand and holding one finger in front of where his lips should be as if asking for silence. Then it pointed down the corridor before flicking the fingers left.

Flitwick looked at McGonagall and whispered, "I believe we're about to see some action. You take whoever is on the left and I'll take the right, meeting in the center." He took the lead when she nodded.

At the corner, he Disillusioned himself and peeked. "Four," he whispered before gliding across the corridor slowly to conceal his motion. He watched McGonagall disappear as well. Counting to five slowly, he ended the count with a silent Stunning spell. Another Stunning spell from across the corridor joined his a split second later as he fired as fast as possible.

The four Death Eaters walking down the corridor stopped in shock as if unable to comprehend anyone would fire spells at them in an empty school. They all went down before any of them could mount a defense.

"Unprepared and sloppy," Flitwick said condescendingly as he faded into sight, shaking his head at those on the sprawled on the floor.

"Yes, but I'd prefer for them all to be as easily defeated," she told him as she tied them up with conjured ropes.

"We should put them somewhere so they can't be revived and tell the others what happened," he suggested.

The words were barely out of his mouth when four house-elves popped in. They each grabbed an immobile Death Eater and popped out, leaving the place as if the battle had never happened.

"Where do you suppose they were taken?" McGonagall asked her colleague.

"I'd rather know who told them to take the prisoners away," he returned. "I barely had the thought."

McGonagall smiled at him. "I can guess who and maybe you'll even meet her," she said cryptically. "Let's continue."

At the next suit of armor they came to, it pointed up for them.

"Up to the next floor?" McGonagall asked.

It waved its hand from side to side and pointed up in larger gestures.

"Higher? The astronomy tower?" Flitwick guessed.

The armor gave them a thumbs up sign and returned to its normal pose.

"I'll assume some flew to the tower and are coming in that way," Flitwick said as they started moving again. He gave her a curious look. "Did you activate the castle's defense system?"

"No, I honestly wasn't aware it could do this on its own," she said with a smile. "I believe the castle's protector did though. I wonder what else we'll find."

— — —

Severus Snape was having a hard time with his team. None of them trusted him and there seemed to always be one of them watching him as they checked the rooms.

Finally, two of them looked in a room at the same time, leaving him with just the one. Pretending to walk over and look in a room too, he whirled and fired a Stunning spell. The man dropped just before he could fully bring his wand around.

Stepping to the side so he could take the others out as they came out of their rooms, he waited … and waited. As he was about to give up waiting and go in after one of them, thinking they had somehow seen him stun the last of their team, both doors opened and the two stumbled out. They fell to the ground, revealing a suit of armor behind each of them holding a sword with blood dripping down the length of it.

Fortunately, they stood there and looked at him and didn't attack. Three house-elves popped in and one said to him, "Professor, if you could tie him up?"

Without a word, Snape cast Incarcerous on all three, although only the one he stunned really need it. Two of the elves snapped their fingers and the blood disappeared from the swords of the suits of armor. They each grabbed a prisoner and disappeared. The last elf snapped his fingers and the blood on the floor disappeared, making it so clean that no one would ever suspect there had been a fight here. The last elf took the last prisoner and left.

If that wasn't mystifying enough, one suit of armor pointed at Snape, then flicked his hand to the right before pointing down, then moving his hand left.

"You want me to go down by the secret passageway around the corner, then go left?" Snape guessed.

The armor gave him a thumbs up and the two suits stepped back into the rooms they had come from, hiding behind the door.

Shaking his head at the absurdity of this evening, he started on the path the armor had suggested. Somehow, he was sure this was all the doing of the "she" Potter and McGonagall had talked about but wouldn't name.

— — —

Harry tied up the last prisoner of this group before the elves took them all away. He was getting better. This time he had taken out two while Rowena/Heidi had taken out the other two. The first two groups they had met, she had stopped three while he had stopped only one.

"It's time," she said. "He's heading towards Gryffindor Tower and there are no other groups between here and there."

He walked beside her as they strode quickly to their destination. She stopped as they were to round the last corner before the stairs to the Tower. A scream was heard and then an evil laugh.

"That was Annette, who you know as the Fat Lady. I told her to scream when he got there and then open the portrait and flee," she whispered.

"Why in Gryffindor Tower?" he whispered back.

"Because we'll have a few friends there and it seemed fitting to me. Let's go, they're inside." She rounded the corner and hurried up the stairs with Harry close behind. Heidi stopped them at the open portrait hole. "Just a moment longer," she whispered in his ear.

— — —

McGonagall and Flitwick came around the corner just in time to see two people, one in green and the other in blue, head into the opening of Gryffindor Tower.

"From here," Flitwick remarked, "the one in green looked like Mr Potter. But who was the one in blue?"

"That was the Protector of the school," she answered. "Perhaps you can meet her later. I think you'd find the conversation very stimulating. She's quite knowledgeable."

They heard a sound from the right and turned, wand ready. Severus Snape walked around that corner with a suit of armor silently accompanying him. When he stopped, the armor stopped as well, causing it to receive an annoyed look.

"Severus?"

"Yes, Headmistress. I've been hunting down the groups, as it appears that you have too," the spy said.

"It appears you've picked up friend as well," Flitwick said, amused.

"Yes. He came with me after the last battle." Snape cast another disparaging glance at the armor. "Have you had similar encounters?"

"If you mean having the armor pointing out which way to go next, then yes we have," McGonagall admitted.

"I assume this is part of the castle's defense system?" Snape inquired.

"Obviously," Flitwick answered, "however, Minerva didn't activate it. Nevertheless, I find it absolutely fascinating. The animation charms are extraordinary," he said with great admiration. "Silencing the normally noisy armor was also very prudent."

The armor waved his hand and then pointed at the stairs going down.

"It seems we have our next target," Snape said drolly before he started to walk towards the stairs. "I assume this is all caused by the mysterious Protector you told me about?" He looked over the railing to make sure no one was visible below before he started down.

"There's no one else who it could be," McGonagall replied.

"We just saw her and Mr Potter from a distance," Flickwick said. "They were heading into Gryffindor tower."

Snape stopped and looked at them with great concern. "That was one of the places on the Dark Lord's list to check, and he has Bellatrix Lastrange and Rookwood with him. Why didn't you go help them?"

McGonagall knelt halfway down the stairs to survey where they were about to go. "Because we don't need to. If we did, don't you think your new friend would have pointed us in that direction?"

Snape threw another annoyed glance at the armor, but didn't replied. He continued on to the bottom of the stairs, where the armor pointed him to the left.

As they walked past the place where the doors to the library should be, Flitwick asked quietly, "We seem to me missing something here." He ran his hand over the rock and they all felt solid. "The door is gone and it's not an illusion."

"Yes, I noticed that had happened for the corridor to the teachers' quarters too," Snape answered very quietly. "I wasn't aware the castle could change it corridors like this for protection."

"The infirmary did move a few summers ago to a more central location," McGonagall reminded them.

The armor waved for their attention and place one finger in front of where its mouth should be before pointing to the corridor on the right up ahead.

All three professors gripped their wands a little more tightly and crept forward to their next battle.

— — —

"Remember that I've got your back and that Heidi loves you," Rowena whispered in his ear.

Before Harry could reply, he heard voices from inside.

A male said, "He's not in the boy's dorms, my Lord."

"And he's not in the girl's dorms, my Lord," a female voice said.

"You take Riddle," Rowena whispered. "I'll take the other two and then help you if you need it." She gave him a small nudge.

Harry took a deep breath and walked through the opening. "Looking for me?" Harry asked with more confidence than he really felt.

"Potter, how kind of you to find us," Voldemort said. "I wanted to wish you a Happy Birth… Who are you?"

"I am the Protector of this school, Tom Riddle."

"Don't call me that!" Voldemort shouted and pointed his wand at her.

"Yes, it wouldn't do for your followers to know that their leader had a Muggle father, would it?" she taunted him.

Voldemort fired a Killing Curse at her silently while Lastrange and Rookwood looked at him in mild surprise.

Harry stood still since the curse wasn't that close to him. He also noticed that there were extra suits of armor in the common room that weren't here at the end of last term.

Heidi stepped slightly to one side further away from Harry and the curse went by her and hit the stones behind. "You don't care for the truth, do you? Another truth is that you've lost almost all of your followers except for these here and two other groups, which will be defeated soon. You've lost them all and you're about to lose the war."

Voldemort looked at her for a moment before he chuckled. "I don't know who you are, but you're no match for me. The only person who could truly challenge me is now dead and buried outside," he boasted.

"Two more truths," Rowena said as she stepped sideways again, stopping not too far from Bella, "is that Harry is your equal magically and I've been training him on how to use it. Also, in this castle, I am so far beyond you magically, that you might as well be a first year. You have no hope, give up now."

"You lie! _Crucio!_" Bella screamed.

Heidi just held up her hand and the curse started curving midway between them and continued to curve until it hit Rookwood. His scream caused Bella to stop instantly and look at her wand in wonder.

Voldemort looked at the woman in blue in shock, having just witnessed what he would have believed to be impossible. When he recovered, a look of determination took over and he told her, "There is one thing you can't protect. _Avada Kedavra!_"

Harry had been expecting that and stepped to the side as the green spell flashed towards where he had been standing. `_Reducto!_` he thought, three times in a row, trying to bracket the man so one would hit.

The fight was on, but Bella was lost on what to do since her favorite spell had been redirected before. Trying again but hoping for a different outcome, she cast a silent Cutting Curse. That curse bent in mid-air and hit Rookwood too, who was still recovering from the torture curse.

Rowena cast a Banishing spell at Rookwood and sent him flying backwards and into the arms of a suit of armor, which grabbed him and held his arms out straight to the side as if on a cross before becoming perfectly still so he couldn't move. That was why she had walked to the side and stopped at that spot.

Voldemort banished several couch cushions at Harry, transfiguring them all into knives as they flew.

Harry transfigured a cushion into a wooden shield and levitated it so all the knives embedded themselves into it. He saw several chairs suddenly move to towards him to attack. With a grin, he used a spell Heidi had taught him that was a favorite of Godric Gryffindor: Harry's spell didn't destroy them but gave them a new target. The chairs turned their attack back to their animator.

Bella flung a chair at Heidi before casting Snape's slashing spell right behind it.

Rowena merely Vanished the chair and redirected the curse over to Voldemort, who had moved just in time so only his robes were cut. "Just give up now, Bellatrix Lastrange. Or do you want me to tell why Argus Filch doesn't like witches? About what you and he did years ago?"

Harry almost lost concentration at that image and barely ducked a curse before sending an Ice Encasement curse back.

Bella screamed, "How dare you?!" before she rushed at the Protector. One of the blocks in the floor suddenly raised up a few inches and Bella tripped, skidding on her stomach to a halt in front of Heidi, who stunned her.

A shield jumped out of Harry's wand as Voldemort tried using a Flame Whip. Harry was starting to really understand what Dumbledore meant now. His spells eagerly came out of this wand almost without bidding. It was truly a joy to use and had allowed him to keep up with Riddle so far.

"Why won't you die?!" Voldemort screamed. "You're just a boy!"

"Tom, Tom, Tom," Heidi said casually as she leaned against the wall watching the fight. "Don't you understand that you're not going to win here? Harry is your equal and I will help him so that he's the better one. He's going to win and you have no hope. Give up now."

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Voldemort screamed, only to watch the curse be redirected and return towards him so he had to jump to the side.

That distraction was all Harry needed and he hit the Dark Lord with a transfiguration spell. When the once self-proclaimed Lord of the Wizarding World landed, he croaked and flicked his long tongue.

"I objected to his use of a Killing Curse, but turning him into a toad? Really Harry?" she asked.

Harry looked at her while panting slightly and shrugged. "Most any animal that can't move too fast would do."

"I suppose that's true," she said as she bound Lastrange and Rookwood and Harry picked up Voldemort's wand to add to his collection.

Three elves appeared. The one who took the "toad" away didn't look happy to be saddled with that task.

"Now what?" Harry asked as he looked around the heavily damaged room.

Heidi waved her hands at various debris and they started going back together into whole item, even if they were in the wrong place. After a minute, the room was repaired and elves arrived to clean and arrange it appropriately. "Now we head to the Great Hall," she told him. As they left, the extra suits of armor came with them like an honor guard.

"That was part of what I was asking," Harry said as he walked beside her, "but I was also asking what's going to happen to everyone we captured."

"After I question Riddle about his Horcruxes; you will go retrieve them with some help and I'll process the rest of them while you're doing that," she answered vaguely at the end regarding the Death Eaters.

Harry considered that along with the idea that this whole war was almost over. He was rather pleased despite the few loose ends; that no one on the "good side" was hurt just made it all better. He also hoped Ron and Hermione weren't too upset with him for doing this without them, just as he hoped they understood his desire to protect them.

In the Great Hall, the armor stopped just inside the doors while Heidi took Harry to where the head table should have been and they sat in new chairs to wait on the others.

"The others are coming here?" he asked.

"Yes, there's one last group of Death Eaters and they should be here in a moment with the professors chasing them." She grinned at him. "It's been hard not to laugh at times while I watch them. Flitwick has been the most amusing."

"What's it like being able to see and hear everywhere in the castle at once?" he asked her.

"I don't believe I can explain it, Harry. It's a sensation that I don't think you can understand." She motioned towards the door. "Here they come."

A few seconds later, they heard running footsteps. Harry saw two Death Eaters run through the doors as if to take refuge, only to have the armor hit them in the head with the broadside of their weapons, dropping them like a rock.

Flitwick slid to a stop in the doorway with wand in hand and maniacal smile. "Ah, they're already out."

He sounded so disappointed that Harry almost burst out laughing.

McGonagall walked up quickly behind him with Snape coming in last despite his long strides. "Hopefully they're the last since we've lost our guide."

Elves took the prisoners away after Flitwick tied them up.

"They were the last," Heidi said, causing the professors to look up and start walking towards them slowly.

Flitwick instantly recognized her and held a look of awe while Snape looked disbelieving.

"Yes, Professor Flitwick, there is a reason I look like the statue in the Ravenclaw Tower. While I am not really her, you may call me Rowena," she addressed them. "I am also who you would call the Protector."

They stopped about ten feet shy of the two waiting on them. Harry could tell Snape was working furiously trying to figure it all out; and it was obvious he wasn't successful because his frown was slowly growing.

"Professor Snape," Rowena addressed the man, causing him to step forward. "Your behavior over the sixteen years you've been employed is generally reprehensible. A normal Headmaster would have sacked you multiple times over.

"However, I made a deal with you that if you acted a proper professor and defended this school when you brought Tom Riddle and his followers here that I would look beyond your past actions. Today, you have acted with honor and upheld your end of the deal, so I shall uphold mine. You are released from all obligations to this school and may walk out the doors to do what you love best, potions without being surrounded by dunderheads," she finished with a smile, causing all others but Snape to smile as well.

"I will also give you a parting gift and a choice." A medium-sized rough hewn wooden box appeared on a short table beside her. "First the choice. You will either take a magical oath to keep my existence secret, or I will modify your memory to remember the Headmistress in my place and you remember her giving you this gift."

Snape blinked and looked at McGonagall, looking like he still had trouble believing any of this was possible.

"I have taken the oath of secrecy, Severus. It's not onerous," she told him.

As the silence dragged out, Flitwick piped up. "I'll take the oath. I want to keep these memories as well as have conversations with you in the future."

Rowena smile benevolently at him. "That can be arranged, Professor Flitwick. Professor Snape, your decision please."

"Very well, I'll take the oath," he said. A minute later, both he and Flitwick had sworn to keep her existence secret.

She floated the box over to him. "These are potions ingredients that Salazar Slytherin had set aside to dry and never did anything with them before he died. Their location was lost to everyone but me. I believe them to still be good, although I don't know what he planned to do with them. You may do with them as you wish, whether it's to hold onto them as something from Slytherin or to make something from them. Good luck … Severus Snape."

"This is a fabulous gift, Protector. Thank you." Snape bowed and left, with all watching him march out of the Great Hall for the last time and towards the now unlocked front door.

"Professor Flitwick." She looked down at the diminutive man. "I'm afraid that our first conversation will have to wait a few days as I shall be a little busy with the aftermath of this evening. However, do not fear; I will not forget about you. While I will answer as many of your questions as I can, I will also tell you a few things about your house that you may not like but will need to change for this next year."

"I understand," he told her, hoping the problems she wanted to correct weren't too difficult or severe.

"Headmistress, I'm sorry I made your job harder by having to find a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at this late date. However," Rowena's expressions became more pleased, "if you can find someone that you want to keep for a while, you will be able to. I've removed the curse on the position that limited a teacher to no more than a single year. I'm also training someone to take the position one day not too far into the future, if I can talk him into it." She looked at Harry.

Harry was surprised at the sudden inclusion into the conversation, and a little embarrassed that she mentioned that he might be good enough for the teaching position as well as for the scrutiny the two teachers were giving him.

"The last task I will give you before I leave to go release two teachers and a student from protective custody is to request that you call a group of the more active members of the Order of the Phoenix here tomorrow, including one Nymphadora Tonks. I believe there will be a need for her special talents for some of the clean up."

"Rowena, a question if I may?" McGonagall asked. At a nod from the avatar, she asked, "What about all the Death Eaters captured today? Shouldn't we call the Aurors?"

"No, you don't have to worry about them," Rowena said with a grim expression. "They are in a room that has not been visited for centuries and that you'll never find. I have some questions for them, which you shall see the answers to. Unless I'm very mistaken, those transcripts are the last you'll hear from them until I give their bodies to the Aurors at some future date. The answers to my questions to Tom Riddle are why your Order will be needed tomorrow. I will tell Harry what you need to do."

She looked at Harry. "I'd suggest you go see Heidi. She really wants to see you and make sure you're all right." Looking back at the teachers, she said, "I'll be available if I'm needed ... and for the occasional conversation." She winked at Flitwick before she faded out. "And Harry would make a great Head Boy…" her disembodied voice said in the air as if taken away on the wind, causing him to become embarrassed again.

"That was almost beyond belief," Flitwick squeaked in excitement. "She's Hogwarts, isn't she?"

"Yes," Harry said as he stood to leave.

"Mr Potter, are you all right? No injuries or anything?" McGonagall asked with concerned.

"No, Professor, other than being tired, I'm all right. If you'll excuse, I need to go see my girlfriend and I'll see you in the morning." With a hasty good-night to them, he walked very quickly back to his room.

Inside, he was engulfed in a hug by Heidi. "Are you really all right other than just being tired?"

"Yes. I think I want to lie down and sleep, maybe think about this tomorrow. I'm sure it'll all hit me then. I mean, I know Riddle is vanquished, but it's not entirely real yet."

"You were great, by the way," she told him as she led him into the bedroom.

Soon, they were snuggling together in bed. As the body of Heidi slept with Harry, Rowena was forcing potions into Tom Riddle while a Dict-O-Quill waited for the coming conversation.

— — —

The next day, Nymphadora Tonks was shown a picture of Bellatrix Lastrange and given a set of clothes and a vault key. A little over an hour later, she returned to the castle with an old cup with a picture of a badger on the side.

Meanwhile, Harry, Minerva McGonagall, Mad-Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt took a trip to Malfoy Manor. A weepy Narcissa Malfoy let them in and took them to a room with a snake that she'd hated from the first moment she saw it.

Harry had only a little sympathy for her when he found out she was distressed from her (escaped from Azkaban) husband leaving last night and not returning this morning. While none of them knew for certain where Lucius was, Harry and McGonagall could guess. Harry thought Lucius had made his choice, as wrong as it was, and now the chips were falling - as the saying sort of went. Narcissa had lost Draco too since he was living in Azkaban for life.

Arriving at the castle, Harry took the sleeping and caged snake to the Room of Requirement.

Heidi checked it. "Yes, it's one," she said just before Gryffindor's sword appeared in her hand and she killed it. She then did the cleansing ritual on the cup. "That's all of the parts except for the main one," she told Harry with a smile. The unconscious body of Tom Riddle appeared in the room.

"Is there any special way this needs to be done?" he asked.

"Not really. Weapon, poison, spell," she shrugged. "Pick whatever you want. I'm sorry, but technically it should be you who does it."

"Since this is essentially giving him the death penalty for crimes, perhaps poison would be the most … civil?" Harry asked, a little squeamish but determined to do this. Killing someone in middle of battle was one thing, this felt like another.

A small phial materialized in Heidi's hand and she gave it to Harry. Without a word, he dumped the whole thing into the Riddle's mouth, even though he suspected only a few drops were needed. A moment later, Riddle's body spasmed and then he became very still.

"A Vanishing spell and you're done, Harry," she told him.

"But do we want to? Shouldn't people see evidence that he's really dead?" he asked.

"Do we want closet sympathizers to try to resurrect him with this body in some way?" she returned.

He thought about that for a moment before he cast "_Evanesco_" and the body disappeared like any other piece of trash.

"What about the Death Eaters?" he asked as he led her over to where their settee was, but this time it faced the outside wall which was a big picture window and let them look out over the school grounds. They sat with his arm around her and pulled in close for comfort.

"Those that died in the fight have already been sent to the special Floo in the Auror Department. There were only ten of them," she told him.

"And the rest?" he asked, wanting and yet not wanting to know.

"I'll question them with truth potions to ensure their innocence or guilt. All have been very guilty so far. At the end, I'll send their bodies to the Aurors too, along with a transcript of their confessions. I also plan to send the confessions to all the news outlets I can so everyone can see why they were killed, why these people deserved death. I'm sorry I have to do this," she said, "but these … well, they aren't really _people_ any more … these Death Eaters who like to hurt people for fun and destroy our society, they deserve their own destruction."

"It's so easy to do in battle," he said after a long pause, "but to remove them like this. Yet, do we have a choice?" He felt guilty about being a part of this, yet he knew it had to be done.

"Do you want a healthy society or one that self-destructs?" she asked.

"I hope we never have to do this again," he said sincerely.

"So do I." She was just a fervent.

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

(Mon, 1997 Sep 1)

Harry Apparated to Platform 9 3/4 so he could ride the train to school, the place he had just come from, he thought with amusement. He did this for the fun, the time with his friends, and because the Head Boy badge on his robes required it. He had no trunk; that was back at the castle with Heidi.

As he was directing a new student, he heard his name called. A moment later he was almost hugged to death by Hermione.

"Hey, what's the problem? You know I've been fine since we've been writing," he said with a chuckle.

"But with all those stories about the Death Eaters in the paper and what they've done, and I know some will want to come after you," she told him before she whispered, "and with you being involved."

He looked at her a little puzzled. "You know that each of those Death Eaters are already dead and that's only their confession, right?"

"Yes, but there must be more live ones out there," she told him with confidence.

"I'm not totally sure about that," he replied, "or at least not any more marked ones." He'd only told his two friends that some Death Eaters had attacked the castle and that he and the professors had defeated them. If he had told them he had defeated Voldemort too, that would have required saying more about Heidi/Rowena than he or Heidi was comfortable with. The last confession sent in would be Tom Riddle's.

He promised himself that he would share the story with them one day soon, minus the part about Heidi's real identity. That was his and Heidi's secret for now.

At her demanding look, he pointed out, "I haven't read about any new Death Eater attacks since those confessions started being printed." He actually knew that Voldemort had brought all of his Death Eaters with him and that Snape was the only survivor not in Azkaban.

Heidi was mailing in one confession a day. A series about the lives and deeds of Death Eaters was now a semi-permanent feature on page two of the _Daily Prophet_ and would be so for about another two months.

"You should still be careful, just in case," she told him.

"I will," he assured her. "I know you told me in your letters, but how are you doing since you found out you won't be Head Girl? Are you still all right"

"I am," she told him. "I'm still a little disappointed, but I'm fine with it. It will give me more time for my studies."

"That's good. Why don't you get a seat and I'll see you at the Prefect meeting," he told her as he saw a few more lost looking first years.

"Where's Susan? She is Head Girl and should be helping you," Hermione asked, seeing the same thing and wondering why Harry had to do everything.

Harry took the peeved comment in stride, understanding it for the disappointment his friend had yet to finish working through.

"She is. There was a tussle on the train so she's straightening that out. I suggested she take that because if I did then the ones fighting might need Madam Pomfrey when I was done," he said with a smile, teasing her.

"Prat," she told him shaking her head, recognizing the joke. "I'll see you soon."

Harry went back to helping those with questions, assuming he wouldn't see Ron until about five minutes before the train was to leave.

— — —

That evening, Harry laid down on his bed, tired from the long day. It wasn't that any one thing was hard, just that there were so many little things to do.

A bright spot was that Susan Bones - the Head Girl - got along with Heidi quite well. Then again, Harry wasn't sure there was anyone, other than maybe Draco Malfoy, that he'd ever seen Susan not get along with. She was just so easy going. If he hadn't had Heidi for a girlfriend, Susan would have made a good one - something he could never voice out loud.

Just as he got comfortable, a weight settled on his bed next to him.

"I wondered if you'd come," he told her.

"Of course. I plan to spend every night here, or at least every night that you'll let me," she told him good-naturedly. "Why do you think I wanted you to be Head Boy?" she asked. Before he could answer, she said, "So you'd have your own room for us to be together."

"How very convenient," he told her with a smile before he kissed her.

* * *

(Mon, 1998 Jun 25)

Harry was watching the Marauders Map, something he rarely used anymore since he could almost always ask Heidi about where people were in the castle. Tonight, he had a special mission, one that had taken most of the year to convince Heidi to agree to.

NEWTS had finished last Friday, so he was not going to distract his friend. He guessed she was doing personal research during the last week just for fun.

When he was sure he knew exactly where Hermione was, he asked, "Is anyone watching her?"

"No."

Pleased, he Apparated from his room to right in front of her in the Library. Despite his efforts, he must have made a noise because she was looking right at him with wide eyes. Doing his best not to burst out laughing, he said, "There you are. I've got a problem I need help with."

She was like a deer caught in sudden lights. The only movement for a moment was her slow blinking. "You can't do that," she finally said slowly and quietly.

"I can't ask my friend for help?" he asked casually, trying for a pout and not doing well as he held his laughter in, but it didn't seem to matter as she was still trying to process what she thought she saw.

"You can't Apparate in Hogwarts, but it looked like you just did." She sat up slowly. "All right, that was a good joke. How did you do it? The cancellation of a Disillusionment spell and a spell for the sound?"

"Err, no," he told her. "I Apparated." He looked around and no one seemed to be looking this way. "Watch, I'll go over there." With a quiet crack, much like the sound of someone closing a book a little too hard, Harry moved about ten feet over to the corner. "See? I can Apparate here. Can't you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "_Hogwarts: A History_ says no one, not even the Headmaster, can Apparate through the wards here."

"If you insist," he told her, dropping the argument. "I really do need your help, so let me help you pack. _Abrakadabra_." He cast a spell to pack all her things into her bag before he grabbed the bag and her arm to help her stand. "Stand up, Hermione."

She glared at him. "That's not a real spell," she hissed.

"That's strange, because your things jumped in the bag when I did it, just like a real packing spell," he insisted, struggling to maintain a normal expression.

"Why are you making fun of me?" she asked a little crossly as she stood. "You're taking the joke too far, Harry."

"If I'm really doing the magic, are you sure it's a joke?" he asked before he Apparated both of them to his room.

"But… That's impossible," she muttered looking around the room, recognizing exactly where she was since she had visited a few times over the year. The sensations of being Side-Along Apparated had also been very real. Slowly, she sank onto the bed behind her, feeling a little week as her world twisted into a new shape she had never comprehended before.

A small crack sounded and Heidi appeared. "Actually, it's not impossible. All Apparation wards do is disrupt the normal magic used to Apparate so that magic used to travel can not operate in the warded area. That can be overcome by making a person's magical signature known to the wards so that person can go through anyway, much like matching frequencies. Historically, no one has ever had their magical signatures added as exceptions to the wards here at school. Harry is the first and only exception," Heidi explained.

"But you did it too," Hermione said shakily, still trying to process what she had experienced and seen.

"Not quite true, although you couldn't have known" Heidi corrected her. "I don't need an exception for the wards because you could say that I am the wards. That means that I'm the one that added Harry as the exception."

"But…" she looked up at Harry completely lost, silently pleading for his help to explain this.

He pulled up a chair for Heidi and sat down next to Hermione on the bed, putting his arm around her shoulders to steady her. "Look, I know this is going to be very hard to take in, but I thought that you needed to see a demonstration before the explanation.

"Heidi is not quite a normal girl. She's very special and she needs some help. I thought you were the best person to help and that you'd like to do this for the challenge. If after I tell you this, if you feel that I'm still joking or otherwise hate me for this, just say so and Heidi will Obliviate you so your world all goes back to what you knew ten minutes ago. However, please listen and think this through carefully because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. OK?"

"My choice?" Hermione asked timidly.

"It's all your choice, Hermione. You'll never be forced," he assured her.

She nodded after a moment. "All right. What's so special about her that allows her to do all this and you still need my help?"

"You see, Heidi can't ever leave Hogwarts," Harry told her, "and there are times that would be useful to her, and to me too. So we need your help to figure out how to do that. We think some sort of artificial body would work, but we can't determine how to do that."

"Why can't she leave Hogwarts?"

"Because she is Hogwarts," Harry said simply.

Hermione blinked and looked at who she thought of as her best friend. "This really isn't funny any more," she said, her anger building.

"He's not joking," Heidi told her. "Rowena Ravenclaw knew this would happen one day because of all the magic here and because of how I was constructed. I am the avatar or physical representation of Hogwart's magic. I became sentient about eighteen years ago."

Hermione stared at the girl, working through that. "Prove it," she finally said.

"You mean beyond being able to Apparate within Hogwarts?" Harry asked with a smile. "That's why I Apparated you here. Well, for proof and for the entertainment value. You're expression was priceless."

Hermione slapped him on the back of the head. Harry winced for a second but couldn't help but keep smiling.

Heidi sighed and looked at Harry. "Close your ears for a moment." She waved her hand and a bubble appeared around his head. "Now he can't hear. Hermione. The Sorting Hat can't share what he sees in a person during sorting. However, he is connected to me, like an extension. Therefore, I can tell you that the Hat told you, and I quote, 'You belong in Ravenclaw, but there is a lion in you if you'll let it out'. You agreed with his decision and that's why you went to Gryffindor … isn't it?"

Slowly, Hermione nodded while Heidi removed the bubble of silence from Harry.

"I never told anyone that. It's true then," Hermione said with awe. As that sunk in, she looked between the others, "But how does that work between the two of you?"

"Quite well, actually," Harry said with a cheeky grin. "She's got all of her girl parts and they're quite sexy too."

Heidi blushed but swatted at Harry, who moved aside at the last second, only to get hit by Hermione. "Thanks," Heidi told her. "So will you do it? Will you help me? You can live here for free, including meals. You can leave to visit your parents any evening or weekend you want. Date someone. Live life. I'll make it worth your time with reasonable pay too. I want to have someone help Harry to make me a body that I can use to leave the grounds with him on dates and other special occasions."

"What about the Headmistress? Won't she object?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"No, I'll see to that," Heidi assured her. "She knows that I exist, although she knows me as Rowena Ravenclaw the Protector of the school. When I ask her to let you live here, she'll agree. She likes you anyway. You just have to promise to keep my real identity secret."

Hermione smiled, happy with the praise. "I agree then." The trio hugged, all very happy.

* * *

(2015 A.D.)

Heidi smiled up at Harry as they walked down the street in London with his arm around her waist. "Thank you for bringing me here. I had a lot of fun tonight."

"I enjoyed the play too," he told her.

"It was great to finally see Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley yesterday, but I never realized just how much there was to the rest of the country and I've only been able to do this for three days." With the way she was always looking around, anyone who paid attention to her had assumed she was a tourist.

"We need to be heading back soon," he reminded her. "There's always next weekend."

"I supposed that being away up to six hours for every day isn't so bad, but I wished I could experience more faster," she told him with joy and wonder in her voice.

"Perhaps we'll find a way for you to bring more magic with you to allow longer times," he said, "but I have to agree that this is a great start."

They headed for a dark area so Harry could Apparate them back.

"I'm still very impressed that Hermione thought of infusing crystals in a golem body, then using dragon blood as the bridge to make it work," Heidi said with admiration.

"Me too. So what's the next project the two of you will be working on?" he asked her, curious as to what they'd pick from the long list of things they'd found over the years that interested them. The two girls had a great friendship and were very good research partners.

"Longer time away will be a possibility." She watched him carefully. "Or maybe finding a way for you to join me as part of the castle - if you wanted."

He almost tripped as he heard that. "You're serious?"

"Would you like to join me?"

"I, I am tempted," he told her. "Let's wait a bit and see though. It's so unusual I'll need time to think that through.

"Of course, my husband," she told him with a pleased look.

He chuckled as he wrapped her in his arms before Apparating them directly into their rooms.

"Mummy! Daddy!" All three children rushed at them and Harry looked at his two sons and daughter with pride. His oldest son would be starting Hogwarts in a few years.

"Were there any problems?" Heidi asked.

"No, Aunty Hermione and Uncle Charlie behaved," their daughter replied.

All four adults laughed. "I wasn't asking you, Helen," Heidi said as she hugged her daughter, now five, and named after her ghostly aunt.

"They were fine, if a handful," Charlie said with a smile. "They were good practice for us, even if that event may be a few years away."

"Yes, they can be a handful at times," Harry agreed.

Once Hermione had the idea that dragon blood could be useful for Heidi's body, she went to an easy source: Charlie. It also happened at a good time in Charlie's life, who became quickly interested in the bright twenty year-old who had once dated his youngest brother for a few weeks shortly after she had finished Hogwarts. Charlie had been wanting to return to Britain anyway and Hermione was a great excuse. A couple of years of dating made that relationship permanent.

"Heidi," Hermione said quietly, "you do know they can do wandless magic, right?"

Harry and Heidi both laughed. "Yes. Nigel and Ian have been able to do a few things for some time and Helen can summon things when she wants to bad enough," Harry told her. "We assume it's because they have two above average magical parents."

"Above average?" Hermione snorted and looked at Charlie who was chuckling. "Maybe one at the top of the scale and the other off the scale," she said sarcastically.

"You play the cards given to you," he said smugly. "Don't forget that we have a staff meeting tomorrow evening," he told his Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures professors.

"We haven't forgotten, Headmaster," Hermione told him teasingly. "Have a good night!"

Harry chuckled at their behavior. He was in his second year as Headmaster and was enjoying it so far.

When they left, Heidi went to her specially protected closet and put her golem body up to recharge for her next outing and transferred her magic back to her normal body that was lying on the cot there. Securing the room as only she could, she walked into the bedroom as Harry entered as well.

"Thanks for the lovely evening and for putting the children to bed," she told him with a kiss.

"Of course, my love," he told her, pleased with her, his family, and his life so far - as unusual as it all was.

(end)

* * *

(A/N: I had mentioned at the beginning that I'd talk about the origin. I was reading some story (sorry, I can't remember which one) and it asked the question of why there weren't more stories where Hogwarts helps Harry. Well, here's one and I can take it off my "to write" list and go back to what I was working on.

Someone also pointed out after chapter 2 that this is sort of a super!Harry story in disguise. I hadn't thought about it that way when I wrote it, but I think there is some truth to that. My goal was just to have a story that was fun to read.

I'm about half done with the next one, I think, and about 50Kw into it. I'm guessing it'll come out in a month or two … unless I get distracted by some other idea. There's a good chance I'll be dropping some small ones into my "Odds & Ends" collection. I hope you enjoyed this one - Kevin.)


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